Britain faces a diplomatic row with Ecuador over Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who has claimed asylum in the Latin American country's London embassy to avoid arrest over sex attack allegations.


Why is Julian Assange at the Ecuadoran Embassy?

Julian Assange sought refuge at Ecuador's Embassy in June, after losing an appeal against his extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges. He claimed political asylum saying he feared being prosecuted in the United States over his Wikileaks website.

Does that mean Ecuador will allow him to move there?

Ecuador's government is expected to decide today whether to accept his application for political asylum. There have been reports that Quito would like to grant him asylum but is uncertain how to get him out of Britain, amid fears he could be arrested by the UK police once he steps outside the Embassy to go to the airport.

Why would Assange be safe from arrest inside the Embassy if he can be detained outside it?

Under the terms of the 1961 United Nations Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, embassies remain under the jurisdiction of the nation they represent, meaning that the British police have no authority within Ecuador's embassy. The Convention is the cornerstone of international relations, and has been signed by more than 200 countries. Outside of the Embassy, Assange remains a wanted man in the UK. He has skipped bail and the British Government points out that it also has obligations under international law to abide by a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden for his extradition.

So are Britain's hands tied?

The Foreign Office claims not. Ecuador has revealed that British officials threatened to use the little-known Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 to revoke the diplomatic status of the Embassy, thus allowing the police to enter and arrest Assange.

What does the Act allow?

The Act was passed in the wake of a government review of the law around diplomatic premises following the 11-day Libyan Embassy Siege of 1984. In that case, a gun man who killed WPC Yvonne Fletcher was able to evade prosecution, using diplomatic immunity to avoid arrest by staying in the Libyan Embassy before fleeing the country. The Act says that the Government can revoke the diplomatic status of a building, meaning that British law would apply there.

So can Britain use the Act to enter Ecuador's embassy?

That's unclear. Some experts have suggested that the Government would be in breach of the Vienna Convention if it attempted to use the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act to revoke the Embassy's diplomatic status. They further point out that the Act appears to be designed to stop an embassy using its premises for acts which would be in breach of international law, such as terrorism. In Ecuador's case, there is no suggestion that granting political asylum to Assange would be in breach of international law. Foreign Office lawyers will no doubt be examining both pieces of legislation in detail today. But a more practical objection to the use of the Act to arrest Assange is likely to be fears that the unilateral revocation of the Ecuador embassy's diplomatic status could create an unwelcome precedent.

British diplomats around the world would be at risk if other nations decide to retaliate by removing the diplomatic status of our embassies.

So does that mean Assange is safe?

For the moment, probably. But there is still the problem of how Ecuador would get him out of the country even if it did decide to grant him political asylum. There is no requirement for Britain to grant him "safe passage" out of the country, and Ecuador would be unable to stop the British police arresting him elsewhere on the streets of London.

Is there anywhere else that Assange is safe from arrest?

Diplomatic immunity applies within an embassy's means of transportation, meaning Assange could be transported to the airport safely by an official Ecuadoran car. But British police could intervene legally if he steps foot on the pavement to get from the Embassy to the car, or walks from the car through the airport to a plane. There have even been suggestions that Assange could be transported over these short distances using a diplomatic bag, which are also safe from interference by a home nation.

gunuvi: There are ways he can leave uk without being arrested. He should seek for oga Alams help, he is a guru in the field. Meanwhile, he should act fast because James bond in one of his movies broke all diplomatic rules, broke into an African embassy (not Nigeria) threw a bomb, killed security and was never prosecuted for the crime throughout the film. So if he don't act fast and seek for Oga Alams strategy and help soon....Abo oro la n so fun Assangeluwabi to ba denu e a di odin din.

sniperwolf: What was WikiLeaks' founder's crime? I'm still trying to understand while the Brits want to arrest him

nairamanforever: Does anyone really think that its because of sexxual harassment that they're after the guy?

al-qaeda:
POLITICS AND ASS KISSING

Omexonomy: The guy had step on many big toes in the past i.e publishing and selling lies about many innocent people.

norrisman:

Do you have a brain or u r just retarded? Which innocent people?

norrisman:

Do you have a brain or u r just retarded? Which innocent people?

Omexonomy: The guy had step on many big toes in the past i.e publishing and selling lies about many innocent people.
All of you peddling lies on nairaland including the ower of the forum should be ready to run to the embassy of OGONI REPUBLIIC when the time comes. SARAH REPOTERS get ready for ur turn.

norrisman:

Do you have a brain or u r just retarded? Which innocent people?

Omexonomy:
HOW OLD ARE YOU or are you a retarded?