Snowdens Asylantrag: Ecuador schiebt Verantwortung auf Russland ab

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Was passiert mit Edward Snowden? Ecuadors Präsident sagt jetzt: Die Entscheidung über das Schicksal des NSA-Whistleblowers liegt in russischer Hand. Erst wenn er sich auf ecuadorianischem Boden befinde, werde über den Asylantrag entschieden.

Moskau/Quito - Ecuadors Präsident Rafael Correa hat die Verantwortung über das weitere Schicksal des flüchtigen früheren US-Geheimdienstmitarbeiters Edward Snowden Russland zugewiesen. Um Snowdens Asylantrag bearbeiten zu können, müsse er sich auf ecuadorianischem Boden befinden, sagte Correa am Samstagabend dem Privatsender Oromar. "Derzeit aber liegt die Lösung, sein weiteres Reiseziel, in den Händen der russischen Behörden."

Nach Meinung von Experten könnte ecuadorianischer Boden auch die Botschaft des südamerikanischen Landes in Moskau sein.

Der Präsident bekräftigte, sein Land könne nichts für die derzeitige Situation. Snowden stehe in Kontakt mit WikiLeaks-Gründer Julian Assange, der ihm zu dem Asylantrag geraten habe. » | fab/AFP/dpa | Sonntag, 30. Juni 2013

Ecuador Cools on Edward Snowden Asylum as Assange Frustration Grows

THE GUARDIAN: President Correa revokes Snowden's temporary travel document amid concerns WikiLeaks founder is 'running the show'

The plan to spirit the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden to sanctuary in Latin America appeared to be unravelling on Friday, amid tension between Ecuador's government and Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

President Rafael Correa halted an effort to help Snowden leave Russia amid concern Assange was usurping the role of the Ecuadoran government, according to leaked diplomatic correspondence published on Friday.

Amid signs Quito was cooling with Snowden and irritated with Assange, Correa declared invalid a temporary travel document which could have helped extract Snowden from his reported location in Moscow.

Correa declared that the safe conduct pass issued by Ecuador's London consul – in collaboration with Assange – was unauthorised, after other Ecuadorean diplomats privately said the WikiLeaks founder could be perceived as "running the show".

According to the correspondence, which was obtained by the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision and shared with the Wall Street Journal, divisions over Assange have roiled Ecuador's government. » | Rory Carroll in Quito and Amanda Holpuch in New York | Friday, June 28, 2013

Snowden Scrap: Ecuador Thumbs Nose at Washington

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In the latest tit for tat in the controversy over Edward Snowden's asylum application, Ecuador has terminated a trade agreement with Washington. President Rafael Correa will score points for standing up to the US, but some worry sanctions could follow.

Tensions continue to simmer between Washington and Quito over the Edward Snowden affair. After the United States threatened to eliminate special trade benefits with Ecuador, the South American country unilaterally moved on Thursday to terminate a trade benefits deal with the country. A short time later, the US said it would also review trade advantages given to Ecuador.

For Washington, the latest developments are a further setback in the diplomatic nightmare surrounding whistleblower Snowden, who has been on the run since leaking documents about collossal American and British Internet spying programs to Britain'sGuardian newspaper. Washington's threatening gestures come at an opportune time for politicians in Quito.

In Ecuador, few believe that a trade deal in place with the US since 1991 will be extended. Numerous conflicts already existed between the two countries even before the Snowden affair. » | Johannes Schneider in Quito, Ecuador | Friday, June 28, 2013

Julian Assange Will Be Granted Asylum, Says Official

THE GUARDIAN: Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has agreed to give the WikiLeaks founder asylum, according to an official in Quito

Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has agreed to give Julian Assangeasylum, officials within Ecuador's government have said.

The WikiLeaks founder has been holed up at Ecuador's London embassy since 19 June, when he officially requested political asylum.

"Ecuador will grant asylum to Julian Assange," said an official in the Ecuadorean capital Quito, who is familiar with the government discussions.

On Monday, Correa told state-run ECTV that he would decide this week whether to grant asylum to Assange. Correa said a large amount of material about international law had to be examined to make a responsible informed decision.

Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patiño indicated that the president would reveal his answer once the Olympic Games were over. But it remains unclear if giving Assange asylum will allow him to leave Britain and fly to Ecuador, or amounts to little more than a symbolic gesture. At the moment he faces the prospect of arrest as soon as he leaves the embassy for breaching his bail conditions.

"For Mr Assange to leave England, he should have a safe pass from the British [government]. Will that be possible? That's an issue we have to take into account," Patino told Reuters on Tuesday. » | Irene Caselli in Quito | Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Botschaftsflüchtling Assange: Ausgerechnet Ecuador
SPIEGEL ONLINE: WikiLeaks-Gründer Assange ist in die ecuadorianische Botschaft in London geflohen und hat um Asyl gebeten - ein verblüffendes, riskantes Manöver. Ecuador ist alles andere als ein Hort der Menschenrechte. Wird Assanges Antrag abgelehnt, droht ihm die sofortige Verhaftung in Großbritannien.

Ist Julian Assange ein politisch Verfolgter? Gibt es einen Grund, ihm Asyl zu gewähren? Diese Fragen müssen die ecuadorianischen Behörden jetzt beantworten. Assange ist Mitgründer der Plattform WikiLeaks, auf der Hunderttausende geheime US-Dokumente veröffentlicht wurden. Er ist am Dienstagnachmittag in die Botschaft Ecuadors in der britischen Hauptstadt geflohen - und hat einen Antrag auf Asyl gestellt.

Man habe die Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte der Vereinten Nationen unterschrieben und sich damit verpflichtet, jeden Asylantrag zu prüfen, teilte der ecuadorianische Botschafter mit. Bis zu einer Entscheidung der Behörden werde Assange in der Botschaft bleiben und unter dem Schutz der ecuadorianischen Regierung stehen. Die Entscheidung, den Asylantrag zu prüfen, dürfe nicht als Einmischung in die juristischen Verfahren in Großbritannien und Schweden gewertet werden, so der Botschafter.

Die Flucht auf exterritoriales Gelände ist ein Versuch Assanges, sich einer Auslieferung nach Schweden zu entziehen. Dort soll der 40-Jährige zu Vergewaltigungsvorwürfen Stellung nehmen. Zwei Schwedinnen werfen ihm sexuelle Nötigung vor, die Staatsanwaltschaft Göteborg ermittelt. » | Von Judith Horchert, Konrad Lischka und Ole Reißmann | Mittwoch, 20, Juni 2012

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Julian Assange Seeking Asylum in Ecuadorian Embassy in London
THE GUARDIAN: WikiLeaks founder walked into the embassy and asked for asylum under the United Nations human rights declaration

The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, sparking a new crisis in the tortured history of his extradition to Sweden.

Assange walked into the embassy in Knightsbridge and asked for asylum under the UN human rights declaration. He said: "I can confirm I arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy and sought diplomatic sanctuary and political asylum.

"This application has been passed to the ministry of foreign affairs in the capital Quito. I am grateful to the Ecuadorian ambassador and the government of Ecuador for considering my application."

The dramatic move follows a long-running legal bid by the whistleblower to halt his extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crime allegations. Assange is currently on £240,000 police bail, and had been living with friends, a number of whom put together the bail payment.

An embassy statement said: "This afternoon Mr Julian Assange arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy seeking political asylum from the Ecuadorian government. We have immediately passed his application on to the relevant department in Quito. While the department assesses Mr Assange's application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian government."

"The decision to consider Mr Assange's application for protective asylum should in no way be interpreted as Ecuador interfering in the judicial processes of either the United Kingdom or Sweden." » | Beatrice Woolf | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Legal crisis over Julian Assange's asylum request: Decision by WikiLeaks founder to seek political asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy throws legal process into turmoil » | Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

EL TELÉGRAFO: Julian Assange pide asilo político a Ecuador: En su solicitud, el periodista australiano argumenta que requiere asilo "ante una lamentable declaración efectiva de abandono" recibida por las autoridades de su país. » | Martes 19 de Junio del 2012