Julian Assange's Haven of Choice
THE GUARDIAN: Ecuador has moved to the left under socialist president Rafael Correa, worsening its relations with the United States

Britain's diplomatic relations with Ecuador have historically been low-key but cordial. However, the 2007 election of a socialist president Rafael Correa, led to a sharp change of direction in the Latin American state's foreign policy, away from the US and its regional allies and towards a radical bloc led by Venezuela.

In 2009, Correa closed a US military base, renounced Ecuador's national debt and joined the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (Alba) created by the Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez as a counterweight to western influence in Latin America, alongside Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia. Relations with neighbouring Colombia nosedived in 2008 after a Colombian incursion into Ecuadorean territory, saying it had come under fire from left-wing Farc guerillas operating there.

Ecuador has also given diplomatic support to Iran in its standoff with the west over its nuclear programme. Correa visited Tehran in 2008 and announced the opening of embassies in each other's countries, while building up defence cooperation with Iran. Iran has also provided loans for the construction of hydroelectric power plants. In 2010, the US government declared Ecuador as being in violation of international regulations on money-laundering and financing terrorism, further worsening ties with Washington. » | Julian Borger, diplomatic editor | Tuesday, June 19, 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

N Koreans Risk Lives for Freedom
Thousands of North Korean refugees, desperate to find new lives, undertake arduous journey by foot to find shelter in South Korea.

But many of them are intercepted in Thailand.

While South Korea has offered to pay to take care of the migrants, Thailand fears this will encourage more North Koreans to leave.

Al Jazeera's Aela Callan reports from Chaing Saen in northern Thailand

André Shepherd: Das heikle Asylgesuch eines US-Soldaten
WELT ONLINE: André Shepherd meldete sich zur US-Armee. Als man ihn aber zum zweiten Mal in den Irak schicken wollte, verließ er unerlaubt die Truppe. "Ich wollte kein Blut an meinen Händen." Weil Shepherd in den USA eine lange Haft erwartet, hofft er in Deutschland auf Asyl – mit der heiklen Begründung, der Krieg sei völkerrechtswidrig.

André Shepherd will um keinen Preis wieder als Soldat in den Irak. Bild: Welt Online
Es gab eine Zeit im Leben von André Shepherd, da hielt er die US-Armee für die Lösung seiner Probleme. Jetzt aber ist sie sein größtes Problem. Denn André Shepherd hat der Armee nach mehreren Jahren als Soldat unerlaubt den Rücken gekehrt, um nicht noch einmal im Irak Dienst tun zu müssen. Ihm drohen nach Einschätzung seines Anwalts dafür mehrere Jahre Gefängnis.

Um die Bestrafung zu verhindern, hat Shepherd in Deutschland Asyl beantragt. Die Sache ist extrem heikel. Ähnliche Fälle aus der Vergangenheit, auf die sich das zuständige Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge bei seiner Entscheidung über den Asylantrag berufen könnte, gibt es nicht. Shepherd ist ein Präzedenzfall.

Als sich der Amerikaner aus Cleveland im Bundesstaat Ohio im Januar 2004 dazu entschied, Soldat zu werden, war er 26. „Damals habe ich in meinem Auto gelebt“, berichtet er . „Nach meinem Informatikstudium gab es keine Arbeitsplätze in der Branche, die Wirtschaft lag am Boden. Ich habe Jobs mit schlechter Bezahlung angenommen, bin Taxi gefahren, habe bei McDonald’s gearbeitet, solche Sachen.“

Die Armee erschien Shepherd in dieser Lebenslage als äußerst attraktiver Arbeitgeber. „Die bieten Dir Geld an, ein Zuhause, medizinische Versorgung, sie übernehmen Universitätsgebühren, helfen Dir später bei der Wiedereingliederung in einen zivilen Job. Jemand in meiner Situation musste so ein Angebot einfach annehmen.“ ”Unsere Anwesenheit machte überhaupt keinen Sinn” >>> Von Christina Neuhaus | Donnerstag, 11. März 2010

Video: US Deserter Seeks German Asylum
BBC: A US Army deserter is to meet German politicians in Berlin as he tries to secure asylum in the country.

Andre Shepherd left his military base, in southern Germany, in April 2007, after serving in Iraq. Eighteen months later, he applied for asylum on moral grounds, claiming the Iraq war was illegal. Tristana Moore reports. Watch video >>> | Monday, November 23, 2009

Iran Rock Band Seeks Asylum in Britain
THE TELEGRAPH: Members of Take it Easy Hospital, Iran's leading underground rock band, have applied for political asylum in Britain after one of the group was arrested following the disputed presidential election.

Take it Easy Hospital's Ash Koosha (Lt) and Negar (Nellie) Haghaghi. Photo: The Telegraph
Four members of the Indie band were interviewed by the Home Office on Monday after submitting applications to remain in the UK.

"If I go back to Iran I will be arrested automatically because the authorities known [sic] what I have been doing," Ash Koosha, the lead singer told The Daily Telegraph. "Since the election things have got a lot worse. There is no hope in Iran for doing what I do.

"If we have any concerts or play our music in Iran, then we will get arrested."

As a woman, vocalist Negar Haghaghi would not be allowed to perform in public in Iran. Two other members, Pooya Koosha and Kabeh Ayati, have also applied for sanctuary in the UK.

A fifth member of the band was arrested in July when mass demonstrations filled the streets of the large cities. Protesters were attacked and detained while attempting to overturn the result of the election, which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by a large majority. The band member has not been heard from since. >>> Damien McElroy and Benjamin Allen | Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ten Saudis Seek Asylum After Princess Is Allowed to Stay
THE INDEPENDENT: Chairman of home affairs committee welcomes decision to give sanctuary to woman with illegitimate child

Ministers are considering asylum applications for 10 Saudi Arabian nationals who claim they are at risk of persecution if they are forced to return to the Middle Eastern kingdom, it emerged last night.

The new cases were made public after The Independent revealed the plight of a Saudi princess who was granted asylum in Britain after she had an illegitimate child with a British man.

The young woman, who has also been granted anonymity by the courts, won her claim for asylum after she told a court that she faced execution if her husband found out about her adultery and she was forced to return to Saudi Arabia.

Immigration and asylum experts said last night that asylum cases from women fleeing the kingdom were very rare. But Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said of the case: "This is the kind of person that our asylum laws are designed to protect. A woman and her unborn child should under no circumstances be sent back to a country where it is likely that they will be harmed. I welcome the decision made in this case."

New figures released by the Home Office also showed that a further 15 Saudis were refused asylum by the Government last year. There are no details about the sex of each of the applicants nor for the number of asylum applications received this year.
Mr Vaz called for more information to be made public about claims from Saudi Arabia. He said: "This is a country with a questionable human rights record. It is important to make clear the number of people who are fleeing similar treatment."

The princess's case is one of a small number of claims for asylum brought by citizens of Saudi Arabia which are not openly acknowledged by either government. British diplomats believe that to do so would in effect highlight the persecution of women in Saudi Arabia, which would be viewed as open criticism of the House of Saud and lead to embarrassing publicity for both governments.

The woman, who comes from a very wealthy Saudi family, says she met her English boyfriend – who is not a Muslim – during a visit to London. They struck up a relationship after he gave her his telephone number in a department store. She became pregnant the following year and worried that her elderly husband – a member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia – had become suspicious of her behaviour, she persuaded him to let her visit the UK again to give birth in secret. She feared for her life if she returned to Saudi Arabia.

She persuaded the court that if she returned to the kingdom she would be subject to capital punishment under Sharia law – specifically flogging and stoning to death. She was also worried about the possibility of an honour killing. Since she fled Saudi Arabia, her family and her husband's family have broken off contact with her. >>> Robert Verkaik, Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, July 21, 2009