Showing posts with label asylum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asylum. Show all posts
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Sunday, June 09, 2013
BBC: Swiss voters have overwhelmingly backed a controversial move to tighten asylum restrictions amid a spike in the number of refugees in the country.
Almost 80% of voters approved changes made to the asylum law last September, final results of a referendum said.
Under the new rules military desertion is no longer a reason for granting asylum, and people cannot now apply through Swiss foreign embassies.
About 48,000 people are in the process of seeking asylum in Switzerland.
The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Geneva, says Switzerland has a long tradition of generosity towards asylum seekers - its proportion of refugees per head of population is twice the European average.
But the number of asylum seekers is rising sharply and is at its highest in a decade.
That, coupled with sharp rises in immigration overall, has led to public concern that too many people are coming to Switzerland, our correspondent says. » | Sunday, June 09, 2013
Verwandt »
Friday, March 01, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A prominent Russian banker claims he has received political asylum in Britain after claiming he was being subjected to a campaign of persecution led by former President Dmitry Medvedev.
Andrei Borodin, 45, the former president and co-owner of the Bank of Moscow who is wanted in Russia for alleged fraud, told the Vedomosti daily that he had been granted asylum by UK authorities in the last few days.
The news drew a sharp condemnation of the British government from Mr Medvedev's spokesman.
If true, the asylum decision is likely to cause fresh tension in the already fraught UK-Russia relationship. The Kremlin was furious when Britain gave asylum to fugitive oligarch Boris Berezovsky and Chechen rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev.
"My lawyers put in an application for political asylum to the UK Home Office indicating that the pursuit of me and my colleagues in Russia is politically motivated," Mr Borodin told the newspaper.
"Behind it are politicians including the former president, Dmitry Medvedev, who is the chief initiator of all this persecution and victimisation. We said that all the criminal cases against me in Russia are nothing but a weapon of that illegal, politically motivated persecution, and the British government decided to give me asylum." Mr Medvedev served for one term as president from 2008 to 2012 before handing back the Kremlin to his ally, Vladimir Putin. He is now prime minister. » | Tom Parfitt, Moscow | Friday, March 01, 2013
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, gave a dramatic statement from the Ecuadorian embassy in London today as he condemned his persecution and attempts to silence whistleblowers.
In a defiant statement from the Ecuadorian embassy’s ground floor balcony, 41 year-old Assange praised the nation of Ecuador for taking a "stand for justice" in giving him political asylum.
Addressing hundreds of loyal supporters outside the central London building this afternoon, the former computer hacker suggested there was “unity in oppression”.
He urged the American government “renounce its witch hunt against Wikileaks” and stop its “war on whistleblowers”.
He also thanked other helpful South American nations and supporters around the world, plus his family including his children "who have been denied their father".
He said: "Forgive me, we will be reunited soon." » | Andrew Hough, at the Ecuadorean embassy | Sunday, August 19, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ecuadorian embassy statement in full »
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Julian Assange faces arrest if he leaves his haven in the Ecudorean embassy in London to issue a statement on Sunday.
The WikiLeaks founder was granted political asylum by the Latin Americans after its ministers agreed he was facing persecution and the possible death penalty in America. But he remains holed up in the embassy in Knightsbridge, surrounded by police who want to arrest him for breaching his bail conditions.
Last night WikiLeaks said he would give a "live" statement "in front of" the embassy on Sunday, two months since he entered it. He could be seized if it is deemed he has stepped outside the building's diplomatically protected zone.
Despite his delight at being granted asylum on Thursday, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said the maverick Australian would not be allowed to fly to his newly adopted country and must instead answer rape allegations in Sweden.
It sets the scene for a diplomatic stalemate between London, which said it was “disappointed” by the long-awaited decision, and Quito, which has accused Britain of threatening to storm the building to seize Mr Assange. » | Martin Beckford, and Rosa Silverman | Thursday, August 16, 2012
Ecuador has now made its decision: to grant political asylum to Julian Assange. This comes in the wake of an incident that should dispel remaining doubts about the motives behind the UK/Swedish attempts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. On Wednesday, the UK government made an unprecedented threat to invade Ecuador's embassy if Assange is not handed over. Such an assault would be so extreme in violating international law and diplomatic conventions that it is difficult to even find an example of a democratic government even making such a threat, let alone carrying it out.
When Ecuadorian foreign minister Ricardo Patiño, in an angry and defiant response, released the written threats to the public, the UK government tried to backtrack and say it wasn't a threat to invade the embassy (which is another country's sovereign territory). But what else can we possibly make of this wording from a letter delivered by a British official?
"You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy. We sincerely hope that we do not reach that point, but if you are not capable of resolving this matter of Mr Assange's presence in your premises, this is an open option for us."Is there anyone in their [his] right mind who believes that the UK government would make such an unprecedented threat if this were just about an ordinary foreign citizen wanted for questioning – not criminal charges or a trial – by a foreign government?
Ecuador's decision to grant political asylum to Assange was both predictable and reasonable. But it is also a ground-breaking case that has considerable historic significance. » | Mark Weisbrot | Thursday, August 16, 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Ahead of decision on WikiLeaks founder's asylum claim, Quito accuses Britain of threat to trample international law
The diplomatic and political minefield that is the fate of Julian Assange is expected to come a step closer to being traversed when Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, gives his decision on whether his country will grant the WikiLeaks' founder asylum around lunchtime on Thursday.
The decision – if it comes – will mark the end of a turbulent process that on Wednesday night saw Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, raging against perceived threats from Britain to "storm" the embassy and warning that such a "dangerous precedent" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law".
The dramatic development came two months after Assange suddenly walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Patiño released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of the South American country.
The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy."
It added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations."
On Wednesday night appeals were tweeted for Assange supporters to occupy the embassy to prevent British police from arresting him, and while there was a police presence outside the embassy, Scotland Yard insisted that officers were simply there to "police the embassy like any other embassy".
Patiño said he was "deeply shocked" by the diplomatic letter. Speaking to reporters later, he said: "The government of Ecuador is considering a request for asylum and has carried out diplomatic talks with the governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden. However, today we received from the United Kingdom a written threat that they could attack our embassy in London if Ecuador does not give up Julian Assange. » | Damien Pearse | Thursday, August 16, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
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
Sunday, July 08, 2012
She was Saudi Arabia’s “Barbie” princess; the pampered granddaughter of the Kingdom’s founder and daughter of one of his most powerful and favoured sons. Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaziz, however, is claiming political asylum in the UK over fears for her safety back home.
The claim, the first ever made by such a senior member of the ruling family’s inner circle, will embarrass the Saudi dynasty and threatens a diplomatic row.
Princess Sara, 38, accuses senior Saudi officials of plotting to kidnap her and smuggle her back to Riyadh, having subjected her to a “well orchestrated and malicious campaign of persecution”.
She currently occupies a suite and several rooms in a five-star London hotel with her four children and two dogs, guarded by a private security team.
“I am very scared right now,” she told The Sunday Telegraph at a secret location. “They know I can’t go back now. There is a threat. That’s a slap in the face of the Kingdom.
“I’ve been physically abused. I’ve been mentally abused. My assets have been frozen. They’ve accused me of being in opposition [to them] with Iran, they haven’t left anything. I’ve been crucified in every way.”
On Friday, Princess Sara’s lawyers notified the Home Office of her intention to seek asylum. Ministers must assess the truth of the allegations and decide whether to offer her a safe haven – a diplomatic dilemma because Saudi authorities want her to return. » | Hugh Miles and Robert Mendick | Saturday, July 07, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Ecuadorean ambassador is expected to fly to her nation's capital this weekend for talks on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's request for asylum.
Mr Assange has been at the Ecuadorean embassy in London since Tuesday and is seeking political asylum in the country to prevent him being extradited to Sweden.
The 40-year-old Australian faces allegations of sex crimes in the Scandinavian country, which he denies.
Ecuadorean ambassador to Britain Anna Alban, who met with the British government on Wednesday morning, is due to fly back to her home country to discuss the matter in Quito.
A spokesman at the embassy would not officially confirm the visit "until she is on the plane". » | Saturday, June 23, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Rafael Correa says officials will 'discuss with and seek the opinions of other countries' before decision is madeEcuador's president has acknowledged the diplomatic and political minefield created by Julian Assange's application for asylum, and indicated that a decision on the WikiLeaks founder's appeal is likely to take longer than first thought.
Speaking to reporters in Quito, Rafael Correa said: "We are going to have to discuss with and seek the opinions of other countries. We don't wish to offend anyone, least of all a country we hold in such deep regard as the United Kingdom."
Once a decision is made, Correa said, "we can talk about safe passage and such things".The WikiLeaks founder requested asylum at the country's embassy in London on Tuesday, citing the UN declaration on human rights. He is on bail after losing the last of his appeals against extradition to Sweden to face allegations of sexual offences, but insists such a move could place him at greater risk of possible future prosecution by the United States over the WikiLeaks cable releases in 2010.
Ecuador's deputy foreign minister, Marco Albuja, said on Wednesday that the country would make a decision within 24 hours, but Correa said: "He [Assange] presented his reasons. We are going to verify them. We will take the time necessary. Ecuador is a country which defends the right to life. We have to see whether there is a threat to Julian Assange's life." » | Esther Addley | Friday, June 22, 2012
Related »
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A man claiming to be the fugitive nephew of late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has requested asylum in Austria after being picked by police in a routine identity check, media reported on Friday.
Police spotted the 42-year-old man in the company of two other Iraqi men on Thursday at the train station in Traiskirchen, some six miles south of Vienna, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported.
When the police tried to do a routine identity check, the men admitted they had flown to Austria with fake passports that their helper then confiscated and that they were seeking asylum, ORF said, citing an interior ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck. » | Friday, June 22, 2012
NOE.ORF.AT: Neffe von Saddam Hussein in Traiskirchen gefasst: Ein Neffe des ehemaligen irakischen Diktators Saddam Hussein wurde am Bahnhof Traiskirchen gefasst. Der Mann wurde seit 2006 im Irak gesucht, war aber jahrelang untergetaucht. Bei einer Schleierfahndung wurde der 42-Jährige am Donnerstag aufgegriffen. » | Freitag, 22. Juni 2012
KRONE.AT: Zivilfahnder fassten Saddam Husseins Neffen in NÖ: Riesenerfolg für die Zivilfahnder der Polizei: Am Bahnhof von Traiskirchen in Niederösterreich ging ihnen mit Bashar N. ein wegen Terrorgefahr per internationalem Haftbefehl gesuchter Neffe des ehemaligen irakischen Diktators Saddam Hussein (im Bild bei seinem Prozess im Jahr 2006) ins Netz. Bei seiner Festnahme schrie der 42-Jährige sofort "Asyl". Der Risiko-Häftling wurde aus Sicherheitsgründen an einem geheimen Ort untergebracht. Jetzt muss geklärt werden, ob Österreich für das Asylverfahren zuständig ist. » | Christoph Matzl und Thomas Schrems, Kronen Zeitung/AG/red | Freitag, 22. Juni 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Socialite who donated to WikiLeaks founder's bail money also defends him over fears of extradition to USOne of Julian Assange's most prominent supporters, Jemima Khan, has said she would like to see the WikiLeaks founder, who has made an asylum bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, confront the rape allegations made against him by two Swedish women.
The socialite and charity fundraiser, who faces losing the £20,000 she put towards his bail money after Assange took refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London and sought political asylum, said on Twitter that the women deserved a response to their allegations.
She wrote: "For the record, in response to those asking about Assange & bail money.... I personally would like to see Assange confront the rape allegations in Sweden and the 2 women at the centre have a right to a response."
But Khan, one of several high-profile celebrities and activists who have supported Assange since his arrest in December 2010, said she also believed Assange was justified over his fears of being extradited to the US if he goes to Sweden.
"[T]here is no doubt that Assange has a real fear of being extradited to the US nor that the US gov is out to get WikiLeaks," she tweeted. » | David Batty | Friday, June 22, 2012
Related »
THE GUARDIAN: WikiLeaks founder uses Australian radio interview to highlight US attempts to draw up charges against himJulian Assange has admitted that he has no idea whether his bid for political asylum in Ecuador to avoid extradition to Sweden will be successful.
The WikiLeaks founder, who has sought refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he did not know when a decision on his asylum request would be made.
His comments came as one of his most prominent supporters, Jemima Khan, said she would like to see him confront the rape allegations made against him by two Swedish women.
Khan, who faces losing the £20,000 she put towards his bail, said on Twitter that the two women "have a right to a response".
But Assange said his asylum bid had highlighted what he insists are attempts by the US government to draw up charges against him for leaking hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents via WikiLeaks.
"The department of justice in the United States has been playing a little game, and that little game is that they refuse to confirm or deny the existence of a grand jury," Assange said in a phone interview with ABC radio. "We are hoping what I am doing now will draw attention to the underlying issues." » | David Batty | Friday, June 22, 2012
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