SALON

Friday, Aug 17, 2012 1:45 PM UTC

Ecuador’s Assange statement, decoded

An analysis of the text from the Ecuadorean Foreign Ministry granting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asylum

By

Topics: GlobalPost, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, Ecuador, Britain,

Ecuador’s Assange statement, decodedWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Credit: AP)
This article originally appeared on GlobalPost.

LIMA, Peru — Despite the dense, legalistic and repetitive text, the Ecuadorean government’s official statement announcing the decision to grant Julian Assange asylum makes for a colorful read.

Global Post

The 3,788-word, Spanish-language document says the WikiLeaks founder faces “political persecution” by Washington and includes the suggestion that the United States executes dissidents.

Although parts of the statement appear outlandish, it scores some real points, including the assertion that Assange could face the death penalty. While it remains common in much of the United States, few other democracies use capital punishment.

Regardless of whether US authorities really would attempt to put Assange on trial — or whether he has committed any sexual crimes as Sweden alleges — the notion that the WikiLeaks mastermind could be sent to the electric chair will make many Washington sympathizers recoil.

Ecuador also argues in its statement that Assange could face human rights violations if he is extradited to the US, pointing to the country’s treatment of suspected Al Qaeda militants and the legal limbo they face at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“The legal evidence clearly shows that, if extradition to the United States of America takes place, Mr Assange would not have a fair trial, could be judged by special or military tribunals, and that it is not implausible that a cruel or degrading treatment is applied to him, and he is given either life imprisonment or the death penalty,” the statement reads.

But critics of Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa are likely to detect a whiff of hypocrisy in his government’s explanation for granting what it called “diplomatic asylum” to Assange.

Human rights groups have accused his administration of intimidating and repressing dissenting voices in local media, for instance. They say only Cuba has a worse record in the Americas on press freedom.

For them, the statement’s praise for Assange’s “struggle in favor of freedom of expression, freedom of the press and human rights in general” is likely to prompt a hearty laugh — and more speculation about Correa’s real motives.

That speculation includes the assertion that — after a savaging from foreign media over his use of antiquated criminal defamation laws to muzzle critical voices — the president wants to re-position himself as a defender of journalistic freedom.

As Cesar Ricuarte, executive director of Fundamedios, a Quito-based nonprofit journalism group, told GlobalPost, “Correa is using this case to pose as a champion of media freedom.”

Carlos Lauria, senior Americas program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, says the Correa government would do well to listen to its critics.

“It is ironic that the same government that has granted asylum to Assange has driven El Universo’s [Emilio] Palacio into exile in the United States and is now using state media to smear Cesar Ricaurte, head of Fundamedios and a leading defender of free expression,” Lauria wrote Thursday in a blog post.

The ironies do not end there.

The statement also cites legal precedents and Ecuador’s international obligations under 16 different treaties and conventions, including the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It also name-checks the 1948 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, and the 1969 American Convention on Human Rights.

Those two documents are keystones of the inter-American human rights system, which Correa, along with Latin American allies such as Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, actually want to replace, accusing it of being a lackey of US “imperialism.”

Ecuador’s statement perhaps scores the most points in its concluding argument — that there has been a lack of information and guarantees for Assange’s safety offered by London, Washington and Stockholm.

Neither Sweden nor the UK would give Ecuador assurances that the self-styled freedom of information activist would not be sent to the United States once legal proceedings against him for alleged sexual offenses are concluded. (Here’s the UK government’s response to Ecuador’s announcement.)

It also notes how Swedish prosecutors turned down the offer to question Assange within the Ecuadorean embassy and that the US refused to confirm or deny the existence of a sealed indictment against Assange.

Ecuador says Assange’s case is simply “a bilateral affair between Ecuador and the United Kingdom.”

More GlobalPost

  • Ecuador libel case pits Correa against the press

    As El Universo faces fines and jail time for critical op-ed, Ecuador’s president takes heat for pushing new law supposedly meant to prevent media bias in electoral coverage.
    Simeon Tegel February 26, 2012

  • In Latin America, man bites watchdog

    Latin America’s leaders defy the region’s US-backed human rights commission in a fresh attack on Washington’s waning influence.
    Simeon Tegel June 8, 2012
Simeon Tegel

More Simeon Tegel.

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Sponsored Post

  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
    fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou


    Image credit: Getty

  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
    fs.usda.gov/conf


    Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf

  • Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
    The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
    fs.usda.gov/hmnf


    Image credit: umich.edu

  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
    fs.usda.gov/mnf


    Image credit: Getty

  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
    fs.usda.gov/gwj


    Image credit: wikipedia.org

  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
    floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm


    Image credit: floridastateparks.org

  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
    fs.usda.gov/kaibab


    Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad

  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 9

Related Videos

Comments

 13 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

Salon is proud to feature content from GlobalPost, an awarding-winning international news site that focuses on original reporting from journalists stationed around the world. GlobalPost combines traditional journalistic values with the power of new media to offer a fresh perspective on global developments.

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "The Joker": Laughing at life's deepest sorrows