Anna Alban to return to Ecuador for talks on Assange's asylum bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, says embassy spokesman
Ecuador's ambassador to the UK is believed to be flying to Quito to discuss Julian Assange's claim for political asylum.
Anna Alban is due to visit Ecuador's capital for talks on Assange's asylum bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, according to an embassy spokesman.
Assange took refuge at Ecuador's embassy in Knightsbridge, central London, on Tuesday. The Ecuadorean government has so far made no comment on whether they will agree to Assange's request, which would see him avoid potential deportation to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assaults against two women.
Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, said his country would discuss the case with both Britain and the US, but has not indicated when a decision will be made. Alban is believed to have met British government representatives on Wednesday.
Assange lost his extradition case at the end of May but his lawyer succeeded in getting 14 days to decide whether to challenge a point in the judges' ruling on the case. A challenge was later rejected but Assange had 14 more days to appeal to Strasbourg over whether he had received a fair hearing in the UK. It was during this time that Assange sought refuge at the embassy.
Assange said he chose the Ecuadorean embassy because he believed the Ecuadoreans "were sympathetic in relation to my struggles", but admitted in an Australian radio interview on Friday that he had "no idea" whether his bid would be successful.
Assange insists that his extradition would allow the US government to draw up charges against him for leaking hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents via WikiLeaks.
However, critics have argued that the allegations of sexual assault and his work with WikiLeaks are not linked, and he should face a proper trial.
For the time being Assange is protected inside the Ecudorean embassy, but police said they were ready to arrest him for breaching his bail conditions, which included an overnight curfew at a registered address, should he step outside.
Supporters of Assange who put up �240,000 to secure his bail are likely to lose their deposits if his claim is successful.
Jemima Khan, socialite and associate editor at the New Statesman, was a high-profile donor to the fund ? to the tune of �20,000 ? but has called for Assange to face the allegations made against him in Sweden.
"For the record, in response to those asking about Assange and bail money ?" she wrote on her Twitter page, "I personally would like to see Assange confront the rape allegations in Sweden and the two women at the centre have a right to a response."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/23/julian-assange-ecuador-ambassador-quito
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