MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Ecuador hits back at the UK over the Assange asylum case in London
Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said Ecuador's decision to harbor Assange had prevented the proper course of justice. 
“It is not acceptable to try to place the responsibility for the lack of progress in this area over the last five years on Ecuador,” said Ecuador's Xavier Lasso Ecuador has hit back at the UK government over who is to blame for the deadlock in the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The 44-year-old Australian has been living in Ecuador's embassy in London for more than three years to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations.
Three of four investigations were dropped last week after they became time-lapsed. Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said Ecuador's decision to harbor Assange had prevented the proper course of justice. He said the UK continued to have a legal obligation to extradite Assange to Sweden.
“The continuing failure to expedite the Swedish prosecutor's interview, and to bring this situation to an end, is being seen as a growing stain on the country's reputation,” he said.
Ecuador's acting minister of foreign affairs, Xavier Lasso, said he “categorically rejected” the accusations. “It is not acceptable to try to place the responsibility for the lack of progress in this area over the last five years on Ecuador,” he said.
Lasso added if there was an abuse of diplomatic relations, it had been committed by the UK government. He recalled that the UK government not only threatened to “violate the immunity of diplomatic premises” but it had maintained an “invasive police cordon” outside the embassy in London.
“The British government has the sole responsibility for such an invasive and unnecessary police deployment,” he said.
“The Republic of Ecuador will not take lessons from any foreign government, least of all those that are unaware of the institution of political asylum; its legitimacy, attached and enshrined in international law, and its humanitarian nature based on the sovereign equality of nations.”
Assange fears being taken to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks. London Police are guarding the embassy in an operation that has cost more than 18 million dollars so far.
See also https://govwaste.co.uk/
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Read all commentsYAWN.....self inflicted...he put himself in deadlock no pressure on UK one bit, pressure must be getting to them to get the rapist squatter out on his arse.
Aug 17th, 2015 - 08:19 am 0Play it cool house arrest with eventual arrest happy days one more rapist behind bars...meanwhile another drink please waiter
Not our stone; not our shoe. Ecuador must rue the day they let that fame-hungry bail-jumper into their embassy. They just did not think it through.
Aug 17th, 2015 - 08:49 am 0Time lapse a little further down the road:
Aug 17th, 2015 - 11:19 am 0“It is not acceptable to try to place the responsibility for the lack of progress in this area over the last twenty years on Ecuador,” he said.
Even if the last charges are dropped, did Assange not commit a crime in England by jumping bail?
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