Ecuador wants to avoid Assange's extradition to Sweden

[struggle4progress]

By Eduardo Garcia
QUITO | Wed Aug 1, 2012 4:43pm EDT

... Ecuador has long said that it will take as long as needed to make a thorough analysis of Assange's asylum request before making a decision. Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino on Monday vowed to wait until the end of the Olympic Games in London to announce a decision.

He said Ecuador had invited Swedish authorities to question Assange in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, which could give the former computer hacker a chance to avoid extradition to Sweden.

But following a meeting with Correa on Wednesday Patino said he had "unofficially" learned that Sweden had turned down the offer. He said he was disappointed about Sweden's decision because it "makes the situation more complicated."

"This makes it more difficult for us to make a decision that would mean that Mr. Assange would have to travel to Sweden," Patino told reporters outside the presidential palace ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/01/us-ecuador-assange-idUSBRE8701KH20120801

[Judi Lynn]

1. Thanks for the update. It's important. Rec. n/t