Ecuador fears ‘Assange won’t get fair trial in US’

Sydney - Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa has expressed doubt over whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would get a fair trial in the United States.

Correa said in an interview with state-run television that if Assange were to be extradited to the United States, ‘there would be no guarantee of due process.’

He urged Britain and Sweden to guarantee that they will not extradite the WikiLeaks founder to any third country.
 
“What we want is to insure a fair trial and the right to life for Assange, but there are clear and serious indications of political persecution,” The Herald Sun quoted Correa, as saying.

According to the report, Correa said there were three ways to resolve the diplomatic impasse with London.

He said either Britain and Sweden could guarantee that Assange won't be sent to a third country, Swedish prosecutors could question him in the Ecuadoran embassy, or British authorities could allow him to leave without arresting him.

Assange has been holed up at the Ecuador embassy in London since June 19 in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is demanded for questioning over allegation of sexually assaulting two women.
 
The 41-year-old Australian has denied the sex crime allegations and accused Washington of carrying out a ‘witch-hunt’ against him and his website.