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| Ecuadorean minister arrives in UK to discuss future of Julian Assange | Ecuadorean minister arrives in UK to discuss future of Julian Assange |
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| Ecuador's foreign minister arrived in Britain on Sunday for talks with William Hague over the future of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, who has been confined to the Ecuadorean embassy in London for almost a year. | |
| Ricardo Patino held talks with Assange on Sunday and will meet Hague on Monday. On Wednesday, it will be one year since the WikiLeaks founder dramatically walked into the embassy in Knightsbridge in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sex assault and rape accusations, which he denies. | |
| In August last year, Ecuador granted him political asylum but the British authorities have made clear that he will be arrested if he leaves the building. | In August last year, Ecuador granted him political asylum but the British authorities have made clear that he will be arrested if he leaves the building. |
| Since Assange entered the embassy, the Metropolitan police have maintained a round-the-clock guard, which cost £3.3m up to March. | Since Assange entered the embassy, the Metropolitan police have maintained a round-the-clock guard, which cost £3.3m up to March. |
| Patino has previously accused the British government of trampling on the human rights of the Australian national by refusing to allow him to travel to Ecuador. Assange said last year that he expected to wait six months to a year for a deal that would allow him to leave the embassy. | Patino has previously accused the British government of trampling on the human rights of the Australian national by refusing to allow him to travel to Ecuador. Assange said last year that he expected to wait six months to a year for a deal that would allow him to leave the embassy. |
| He fears answering the allegations in Sweden would make him vulnerable to onward extradition to the US to face potential charges relating to the WikiLeaks releases, fears dismissed by Swedish prosecutors. | He fears answering the allegations in Sweden would make him vulnerable to onward extradition to the US to face potential charges relating to the WikiLeaks releases, fears dismissed by Swedish prosecutors. |
| A Foreign Office spokeswoman offered little hope of a breakthrough, saying it was "committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to this situation", but adding: "The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual offences, and the British police must fulfil this." | A Foreign Office spokeswoman offered little hope of a breakthrough, saying it was "committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to this situation", but adding: "The UK has a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual offences, and the British police must fulfil this." |
| Assange praised Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency whistleblower who leaked classified documents about US surveillance operations, as a "hero" and urged countries to support him by offering him asylum. He earlier told an Australian interviewer for ABC News that he had been in "indirect communication with [Snowden's] people", but declined to elaborate further. | Assange praised Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency whistleblower who leaked classified documents about US surveillance operations, as a "hero" and urged countries to support him by offering him asylum. He earlier told an Australian interviewer for ABC News that he had been in "indirect communication with [Snowden's] people", but declined to elaborate further. |
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