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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Julian Assange: UK and Ecuador hope working party can help end impasse | Julian Assange: UK and Ecuador hope working party can help end impasse |
| (4 months later) | |
| A group of legal experts is to be set up by the UK and Ecuadorian governments to try to break the deadlock over the future of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. | A group of legal experts is to be set up by the UK and Ecuadorian governments to try to break the deadlock over the future of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. |
| But despite the move being agreed after a meeting between the British foreign secretary, William Hague, and his Ecuadorean counterpart, Ricardo Patiño, little progress was made in trying to resolve the diplomatic standoff. | But despite the move being agreed after a meeting between the British foreign secretary, William Hague, and his Ecuadorean counterpart, Ricardo Patiño, little progress was made in trying to resolve the diplomatic standoff. |
| Assange has been inside Ecuador's London embassy for almost a year, fearing he will be extradited to the United States if he travels to Sweden to answer allegations of sexual assault against two women. | Assange has been inside Ecuador's London embassy for almost a year, fearing he will be extradited to the United States if he travels to Sweden to answer allegations of sexual assault against two women. |
| Patiño told a news conference that the Ecuadorian government was prepared to continue to allow Assange to remain inside the embassy, following the decision last year to grant him political asylum. | Patiño told a news conference that the Ecuadorian government was prepared to continue to allow Assange to remain inside the embassy, following the decision last year to grant him political asylum. |
| He made it clear that Assange would not be smuggled out of the embassy in the boot of a car, saying he should be allowed to leave and go to Ecuador. | He made it clear that Assange would not be smuggled out of the embassy in the boot of a car, saying he should be allowed to leave and go to Ecuador. |
| There was now a legal dispute between the UK and Ecuador, which Patiño said he hoped could be resolved by the working party. | There was now a legal dispute between the UK and Ecuador, which Patiño said he hoped could be resolved by the working party. |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said the two ministers had agreed to keep channels of communication open, but made no breakthrough, adding: "Ministers agreed that officials should establish a working group to find a diplomatic solution to the issue of Julian Assange, but no substantive progress was made. | A Foreign Office spokesman said the two ministers had agreed to keep channels of communication open, but made no breakthrough, adding: "Ministers agreed that officials should establish a working group to find a diplomatic solution to the issue of Julian Assange, but no substantive progress was made. |
| "The foreign secretary was clear once again that any resolution would need to be within the laws of the United Kingdom." Patiño said Assange was prepared to stay inside the embassy for five years, believing it was preferable to facing the US legal system. | "The foreign secretary was clear once again that any resolution would need to be within the laws of the United Kingdom." Patiño said Assange was prepared to stay inside the embassy for five years, believing it was preferable to facing the US legal system. |
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