Julian Assange should respond to sex claims – Ecuador President

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should respond to sexual assault allegations made against him by two Swedish women according to Ecuador President Rafael Correa.

Despite the fact that this case would not constitute criminal behaviour in Latin America in his view, Correa’s comments are likely to increase the controversy of Assange’s case.

However, this may also create the possibility of compromise within the diplomatic dispute caused by the country’s recent decision to provide refuge for Assange at the London embassy in Ecuador.

The British government was accused of hypocrisy by Correa who was willing to risk the loss of UK business and public support in an indefinite standoff.

The Ecuadorian President said there were three possibilities to occur should the standoff be broken, the first being for the UK to allow Assange to go to the airport without being arrested. The second was for Assange to leave his refuge at his own accord while the third was for the Ecuadorian government to change its stance despite Correa stating that this was unlikely scenario.

Senior politicians in Ecuador and Assange’s supporters claim that the allegations are part of a plot to send Assange back to the US while the British government wants to comply with a court request for Assange to be sent to Sweden for questioning as part of an investigation into the assault accusations.

Correa said that if it could be reassured that Assange would not be extradited to the US, it would support Assange going to Sweden and even proposed that Swedish investigators conduct interrogations on embassy property.