US Denies Interest in Julian Assange Case
Ecuador, the U.K. and Sweden only parties concerned, says Ambassador Namm.
The U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Adam Namm, denied that the U.S. had any stake in the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He maintained during a radio interview in Quito on Friday that it had to do with only Ecuador, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
“The American government’s position is very simple. The issue concerning Mr. Assange is between Ecuador, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The U.S. has nothing to do with that process,” the newly named ambassador stated.*
Assange, who is being brought in on four charges of sexual assault in Sweden, denies committing the crimes mentioned in the European arrest warrant released by Swedish authorities although he does admit to having a consensual relationship with the two plaintiffs during an August 2010 visit to Stockholm. He claims the extradition order has political undertones.
On several occasions Assange has claimed to be the victim of a “plot” that would ultimately allow the U.S. to bring him to trial there.
Since June 19 the WikiLeaks founder has taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He is waiting for word from the government in Quito on his appeal for political asylum.
Assange has been investigated by the U.S. for alleged espionage after leaking classified documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and 250,000 confidential diplomatic cables that cast doubt on U.S. diplomacy.
In one, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa was accused of tolerating political corruption, resulting in the expulsion of the Ecuadorian and American ambassadors from their respective posts in 2011.
“That was a tough moment for our relationship, but they all have their rough spots. I can see that we’ve gotten over this regrettable WikiLeaks matter and (Heather) Hodges’s expulsion,” Namm said in a statement for Radio Quito.
The diplomatic breach lasted five months until both countries announced this past September that they would mend it by naming new diplomats.
This past January Ecuador’s envoy to the U.S., Nathalie Cely, took up her post. Meanwhile, the American ambassador presented his credentials in Quito on June 21.
According to information from the government of Ecuador, more than two million Ecuadorians live in the U.S. Around 30,000 Americans reside in Ecuador.
Last night in Caracas, the Sao Paulo Forum released a resolution requesting the government of Ecuador to grant political asylum to Julian Assange to save his life and his freedom.
*Editor’s note: The original quote, although accurately translated, could not be verified.
The U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Adam Namm, denied that the U.S. had any stake in the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He maintained during a radio interview in Quito on Friday that it had to do with only Ecuador, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
“The American government’s position is very simple. The issue concerning Mr. Assange is between Ecuador, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The U.S. has nothing to do with that process,” the newly named ambassador stated.*
Assange, who is being brought in on four charges of sexual assault in Sweden, denies committing the crimes mentioned in the European arrest warrant released by Swedish authorities although he does admit to having a consensual relationship with the two plaintiffs during an August 2010 visit to Stockholm. He claims the extradition order has political undertones.
On several occasions Assange has claimed to be the victim of a “plot” that would ultimately allow the U.S. to bring him to trial there.
Since June 19 the WikiLeaks founder has taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He is waiting for word from the government in Quito on his appeal for political asylum.
Assange has been investigated by the U.S. for alleged espionage after leaking classified documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and 250,000 confidential diplomatic cables that cast doubt on U.S. diplomacy.
In one, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa was accused of tolerating political corruption, resulting in the expulsion of the Ecuadorian and American ambassadors from their respective posts in 2011.
“That was a tough moment for our relationship, but they all have their rough spots. I can see that we’ve gotten over this regrettable WikiLeaks matter and (Heather) Hodges’s expulsion,” Namm said in a statement for Radio Quito.
The diplomatic breach lasted five months until both countries announced this past September that they would mend it by naming new diplomats.
This past January Ecuador’s envoy to the U.S., Nathalie Cely, took up her post. Meanwhile, the American ambassador presented his credentials in Quito on June 21.
According to information from the government of Ecuador, more than two million Ecuadorians live in the U.S. Around 30,000 Americans reside in Ecuador.
Last night in Caracas, the Sao Paulo Forum released a resolution requesting the government of Ecuador to grant political asylum to Julian Assange to save his life and his freedom.
*Editor’s note: The original quote, although accurately translated, could not be verified.