British Foreign Secretary will not give safe passage to Assange

William Hague

British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said that that there are no legal grounds to grant safe passage to Julian Assange, after Ecuador’s government today granted him asylum.

“We will not grant a safe conduct to to Assange to leave the UK, there is no legal basis to force us to it,” said Hague, who also noted that diplomatic immunity should not be used for “harboring” suspected criminals and pointed out that the process in Sweden would have legal “guarantees”.

“The immunity exists to enable embassies to conduct appropriate diplomatic functions and harboring suspected criminals is not one of them, nor prevent the legal process in a country,” said Hague.

Hague said there is no risk that the UK will “assault” the Ecuadorian embassy because, even if they use a 1987 bill that would allow them to revoke his diplomatic status, this decision should be supported by international laws. “This is a complication for Ecuador and Assange, and it is strange for an embassy to be placed in this position,” he said. (FL)