Security is tight here at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London as the row over Wikileaks founder Julian Assange heats up.
On Friday, Ecuador's national assembly condemned Great Britain for threats to raid its embassy after Ecuador agreed to give Assange asylum.
British officials are determined to extradite Assange to Sweden, where he is accused of rape and sexual assault.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED KINGDOM'S MISSION OBSERVER TO THE OAS, SAYING:
"The UK does not respect the principle of diplomatic asylum and at the same time we believe the use of the premises of the Ecuadorian embassy to enable him to avoid arrest and extradition are incompatible with Ecuador's international obligations under the Vienna convention on diplomatic rights."
Britain's hardline stance also prompted the Organization of the American States to call an emergency meeting on Thursday, where Ecuador said Britain planned to deliberately break international law.
Assange claims the charges are politically motivated and that his extradition will eventually lead him to be sent to the U.S. where he could be prosecuted for the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret diplomatic and military cables.
On Friday, Ecuador's national assembly condemned Great Britain for threats to raid its embassy after Ecuador agreed to give Assange asylum.
British officials are determined to extradite Assange to Sweden, where he is accused of rape and sexual assault.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED KINGDOM'S MISSION OBSERVER TO THE OAS, SAYING:
"The UK does not respect the principle of diplomatic asylum and at the same time we believe the use of the premises of the Ecuadorian embassy to enable him to avoid arrest and extradition are incompatible with Ecuador's international obligations under the Vienna convention on diplomatic rights."
Britain's hardline stance also prompted the Organization of the American States to call an emergency meeting on Thursday, where Ecuador said Britain planned to deliberately break international law.
Assange claims the charges are politically motivated and that his extradition will eventually lead him to be sent to the U.S. where he could be prosecuted for the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret diplomatic and military cables.
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