usatoday | Ecuador said Friday it would consider asking
Britain to authorize the transfer of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to
its embassy in Sweden so that he can respond to sex crimes allegations
there.
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told
reporters that there are several possibilities to resolve the standoff
with Britain over Assange, including "that his statement be taken in our
embassy in London or that Ecuador get authorization to transfer him, if
necessary, to our embassy in Sweden so that the case can proceed there
with the protection of Ecuador and meeting the needs of Swedish
justice."
There was no immediate reaction from British officials.
Assange
has been holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London since June 19, seeking
to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sex crimes
allegations.
Assange claims the Swedish sex
case is part of plot to make him stand trial in the United States over
his work with WikiLeaks, which has published large troves of secret U.S.
documents. Sweden and Washington reject the claim.
Ecuador
granted the Wikileaks founder political asylum on Aug. 15, but British
authorities will arrest him if he steps foot outside the diplomatic
mission.
