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Britain should avoid double standards in Assange case: Ecuadorian FM

Xinhua, June 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Ecuador's Foreign Affairs Minister on Wednesday urged Britain to abide by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) findings that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" since his first arrest in London in December 2010.

"There is, particularly in the case of the United Kingdom, a political statement saying that they will not abide to the findings of the UN WGAD," Guillaume Long told reporters in Geneva's UN headquarters.

"We are very disappointed by this particularly given that the United Kingdom and Sweden have called on so many countries on so many occasions to abide by the UN working group's findings. This is a clear case of double standards that Ecuador denounces," he added.

According to WGAD's report, Assange's "human rights infringements" were triggered by an investigation carried out by a Swedish prosecutor five years ago on allegations of sexual misconduct.

To date, the investigation has made no progress and no charges have been formally brought against the 44-year-old Australian national.

WGAD's expert panel ruled that Assange's detention is arbitrary because he was held in isolation for 10 days in the first stage of detention and because of the Swedish prosecutor's lack of diligence in his investigations which resulted in Assange' lengthy arrest.

It was during his 550 days of house arrest that the whistle-blower sought refugee status at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The Republic of Ecuador granted Assange asylum because of the latter's fear that were he to be extradited to Sweden, he would then be sent to the United States to face serious charges including espionage and other crimes against the state.

The activist has been unable to leave the embassy since August 2012, and is subject to extensive surveillance by British law enforcement.

"The conditions in which he is arbitrarily detained are precarious ones. The Ecuadorian embassy in London is very a small space with limited light and no outside space at all. His health has deteriorated," said Long, who recently visited Assange.

In light of Assange's protracted and unjustified detention, the official said the issue should be considered a humanitarian one and dealt with as such. Endit