BBC: Julian Assange row: Americas give Ecuador partial support

[marmar]

Foreign ministers from the American continent have passed a motion backing the "inviolability of diplomatic missions" amid the row between the UK and Ecuador over Julian Assange.

The Wikileaks founder is in Ecuador's London embassy fighting extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims.

Ecuador called for the Organisation of American States vote saying the UK had threatened to storm the embassy.

But the resolution was reworded after the UK insisted it had made no threat.

The BBC's Kim Ghattas said the resolution expressed solidarity with Ecuador but, despite a strong plea from Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, there was no reference to any threat against his country's embassy in London. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19377110

[struggle4progress]

1. CORRECTION LEAD: Ecuador gets only mild support from OAS on Assange

... The resolution, which Ecuador hailed as "a triumph for small countries" in the face of "imperial powers," was passed by consensus after a five-hour debate in Washington. Only 12 foreign ministers of 34 who had been invited attended the meeting ...

At the start of the meeting, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino insisted that Britain‘s "vulgar threats" constitute proof of London‘s "arrogance with relation to a geographically small country, but one that is huge in terms of dignity and sovereignty" ...

Britain has insisted it made no threat. It says it merely reminded Ecuador of the legal status of diplomatic premises on its territory ...

In the document that was approved, the OAS rejected "any attempt that might put at risk the inviolability of the premises of diplomatic missions" and highlighted "the obligation of all states not to invoke provisions of their domestic law to justify noncompliance with their international obligations" ...

http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/correction-lead-ecuador-gets-only-mild-support-from-oas-on-assangeby-silvia-ayuso-dpaeds-corrects-us-position-on-assange-in-graf-5-epa-photos_234114.html

[struggle4progress]

2. ... Ecuador called for the Organisation of American States vote saying the UK had threatened

to storm the embassy.

But the resolution was reworded after the UK insisted it had made no threat ...

The United States withdrew its opposition to the resolution after the text was amended ...

The representative of the Dominican Republic had questioned why the meeting was called since the row over Mr Assange was not going to be solved there, especially not with any grandstanding by Ecuador ...


24 August 2012
Julian Assange row: OAS gives Ecuador partial support
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19377110