Ecuador mulls Assange transfer to Sweden embassy

Assange is holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London since June 19, to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sex crimes allegations

I / Quito September 22, 2012, 13:02 IST

Ecuador has said it would consider asking Britain to authorise 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, yesterday 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 authorisation 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 US documents. Sweden and Washington reject the claim.

Ecuador granted the Wikileaks founder political asylum on August 15, but British authorities will arrest him if he steps foot outside the diplomatic mission.