Julian Assange remained holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy yesterday with police guarding its exits, after Britain warned that a diplomatic stand-off over the WikiLeaks founder could go on for years.
Ecuador granted asylum on Thursday to Mr Assange – whose website enraged the US by publishing a vast cache of confidential government files – but Britain has vowed not to grant him safe passage out of the country.
However, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his government was obliged under its own laws to extradite the Australian national to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over alleged sex crimes.
“No one, least of all the government of Ecuador, should be in any doubt that we are determined to carry out our legal obligation to see Mr Assange extradited to Sweden,” Mr Hague told a press conference on Thursday.
He admitted that the stalemate could continue for months or even years.
Some 20 British police were stationed outside the embassy yesterday, ready to arrest 41-year-old Mr Assange if he leaves the premises. WikiLeaks condemned the police presence as intimidation tactics.
A handful of supporters of the former computer hacker camped overnight outside the embassy in London’s plush Knightsbridge district in a bid to “guard” Mr Assange against any potential attempt to arrest him.
“We’ll stay here as long as we have to,” 26-year-old protester Baba Gena said.
A couple of activists brought a megaphone along and yelled at police: “Why aren’t you doing your job properly?” and “Put your hands in the air if you believe in freedom of speech!”
Mr Assange has not left the embassy since June 19, when he walked in and claimed asylum. WikiLeaks said on Twitter that he would give a statement in front of the embassy on Sunday, though it did not specify whether this would involve leaving the premises and, if so, how he would do so without being arrested.
Under normal diplomatic procedures, embassies are considered the territory of the countries they represent and cannot be entered without permission.
But Britain has angered Ecuador by suggesting it could invoke a domestic law allowing it to breach the rules and go in to arrest Mr Assange. This would challenge a fundamental principle of the diplomatic system and has left Britain in unchartered legal waters.
Baltasar Garzon, the renowned Spanish lawyer who is helping Mr Assange’s defence, has said the WikiLeaks founder will appeal to the International Court of Justice if Britain does not backtrack and guarantee him safe passage.
WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said that any bid to enter the embassy would “risk upsetting diplomatic relations all over the world”.
Meanwhile, earlier yesterday, Russia warned Britain against violating fundamental diplomatic principles after London suggested it could arrest WikiLeaks founder Mr Assange inside Ecuador’s embassy.