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There is no longer any reason for keeping Assange’s asylum
Posted On 02 Apr 2019
Ecuadornews:
Two foreign policy experts pointed out that the Australian hacker violated all asylum rules. He joined the conspiracy of a group that wants to destabilize the current government.
His last shot was to the President of the Republic, Lenin Moreno. This was pointed out by two experts in international politics interviewed by Public FM: María Paz Jervis, dean of the Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences of the SEK University, and Carlos Estarellas, doctor in Jurisprudence, professor and analyst of International Politics.
Last week, Julian Assange divulged the photographs of President Moreno and his family, through its WikiLeaks portal and with it joined the campaign to destabilize and chaotic the country, a campaign undertaken by former President Rafael Correa.
The Australian hacker has been in asylum at the Embassy of Ecuador in London since 2012 thanks to the government of former President Rafael Correa. Assange has an Ecuadorian passport because it was granted by María Fernanda Espinosa, ex-chancellor and current president of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
For Dr. Jervis it was malicious to try to enter the most intimate part of the human being, which in this case was the private life of the Chief Executive and his family. “That is a bad political intention, with a poor and populist discourse. The minimum standards of political asylum were violated, “he stressed.
For the Estates lawyer, at this moment Assange does not leave the Ecuadorian State any other opportunity for action. Attacked the president of the state that gives him political asylum. “It is disrespectful because he is isolated. That is a violation of the rules of that protection. Assange made a direct attack against the Ecuadorian government.”
The analyst stressed that the Australian hacker already violated all the rules. He has done it during all the time he has been at the Embassy, he said. But what are the ways to end Assange’s asylum?
Both academics explained that the State can revoke Assange’s asylum, as long as it registers in these circumstances: demonstrate and analyze that a situation of risk has been ended for him, as well as the breach of the agreements signed with the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry.
According to Estarellas, different conventions on asylum such as Caracas or Montevideo indicate that the asylee, in this case the founder of WikiLeaks, cannot make public statements and even worse against the State that offers protection or against its President. “They should never give Assange asylum because he is not a political persecutor, he had common judgments and violated secret information,” he recalled.
The two experts agree that the solution should be quick because there is no longer any justification for their political asylum. However, the Foreign Ministry will have to define the most appropriate ways to end this situation that has been “a dark cloud of Ecuadorian diplomacy and foreign policy,” stressed Jervis.
For them, Assange joined a conspiracy of a group to destabilize Moreno’s government. “That is a violation of all asylum rules. The Government must act firmly, although it is a difficult decision, “said Estarellas.
In addition, both experts highlighted the change of rudder in foreign policy during the current Government, with a Chancellor of experience and career as José Valencia. According to Jervis, this issue suffered the greatest damage during the 10 years of Rafael Correa’s government. “There was a lack of institutionality and there was a 25-year retreat in that area,” he said.
He cited an example: the prestigious Diplomatic Academy, which trained ambassadors and embassy personnel, was closed by the regime. “The representatives of Ecuador abroad no longer had knowledge of foreign policy or merits, but only an ideological discourse,” said Jervis.
In this context, the asylum of the WikiLeaks founder was given, which was a sui generis act. No one understood the commitment of the State, which responded to the personal interests of a character questioned by its ethics and exercise, said the academic. They also stressed that states can revoke asylum. “Assange no longer faces risks, maybe you can work on a safe conduct, that could be a way out.” In the last case, Chancellor Valencia will have to act according to the legitimate exercise of sovereignty of this country. (I)
