Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno told The Guardian newspaper in an interview that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had tried to use the country's Embassy in the United Kingdom as a "center for spying" in order to meddle in internal affairs of foreign countries
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2019) Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno told The Guardian newspaper in an interview that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had tried to use the country's Embassy in the United Kingdom as a "center for spying" in order to meddle in internal affairs of foreign countries.
On April 11, Assange was arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after Quito withdrew political asylum granted to him. The WikiLeaks founder, who has become famous for leaking classified US government data, now faces the threat of extradition to the United States on charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and could get up to five years in jail.
"We cannot allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a center for spying ... This activity violates asylum conditions. Our decision is not arbitrary but is based on international law," Moreno said.
From his point of view, Assange used the embassy to meddle in internal affairs of other states.
"Any attempt to destabilize is a reprehensible act for Ecuador, because we are a sovereign nation and respectful of the politics of each country ... It is unfortunate that, from our territory and with the permission of authorities of the previous government, facilities have been provided within the Ecuadorian embassy in London to interfere in processes of other states," Moreno said.
The Ecuadorian pointed out that the decision on depriving Assange of asylum was not bound by other states.
"He was a guest who was offered a dignified treatment, but he did not have the basic principle of reciprocity for the country that knew how to welcome him, or the willingness to accept protocols [from] the country that welcomed him. The withdrawal of his asylum occurred in strict adherence to international law. It is a sovereign decision. We do not make decisions based on external pressures from any country," Moreno said.
He also refuted remarks of former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who said that the decision on Assange had been made by Moreno in exchange for the US financial aid.
"It is a fallacy that there will be debt relief in exchange of Assange. This statement has been generated and disseminated by groups related to the previous regime that did not want to find a solution to the Assange case beyond having him locked up in our embassy ... With the United States, we work on issues of cooperation, trade, culture and security. At no time has Assange's status been negotiated with that country," the president added.
Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy back in 2012 as he fought extradition to Sweden, where the whistleblower was accused of sexual offenses, which he denied and called politically motivated. The charges were dropped a few years back.
