Julian Assange is no longer an Ecuadorian citizen.
An administrative court in Quito determined that the naturalization process that granted citizenship to the Australian activist was plagued with irregularities .
Among some of these irregularities, the fact that Assange had not lived in Ecuador and had not paid taxes in the country was mentioned.
The ruling of the Contentious Administrative Court of Pichincha also pointed against the Ecuadorian officials who carried out a process “undue and illegal” to grant him citizenship.
Assange became an Ecuadorian citizen in December 2017 while he was asylee at the Ecuadorian embassy in the United Kingdom. The intention at that time was to turn him into an Ecuadorian diplomat to find a way out of the conflict with the British Justice that was seeking his arrest.
However, the attempt of the Ecuadorian government, represented at that time by the president Lenín Moreno and the Minister of Foreign Affairs María Fernanda Espinosa, did not prosper.
Extradition
The creator of Wikileaks had taken refuge in the embassy Ecuadorian woman in the middle of 2012 escaping an order arrest warrant issued by Sweden for a case of sexual abuse that was finally withdrawn in 2019.
His fear at that time, as much as now, was being extradited to the United States where he has been accused of espionage by the leak of diplomatic cables.
Assange, of 50 years, he is in jail Belmarsh high security guard in the United Kingdom, trying to avoid that extradition, after in 2019 Ecuador will withdraw its asylum status.
The government of President Moreno withdrew this condition accusing Assange of “repeatedly violating international conventions and coexistence protocol “.
A first extradition request by the US authorities was rejected in January 2021 by the British Justice, but the Court Superior of that country granted Washington permission to appeal the decision.
Lesividad
Carlos Poveda, Assange’s lawyer , said in the last hours to the AP news agency that the ruling occurred without respecting due process , since “it was not allowed to generate spaces for defense, on the date of the decision.” that you are cited Assange) he was deprived of liberty and with a health crisis inside the detention center where he is located. ”
Poveda anticipated that he will file appeals such as extension and clarification of the sentence.
TCAdministrativo Quito, decides on the naturalization of J. Assange. They did not respect due process, make it impossible for the defendant to appear, etc. Hopefully it is not another case already judged by “public opinion”, nor is it another achievement of the 100 days. They will not show harm.
– Carlos Poveda Moreno. ATTORNEY. (@ CarlosPovedaMo1) July 21, 2021
The revocation of Ecuadorian nationality to Assange was requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had already suspended his citizenship, but needed judicial confirmation so that be revoked.
The Foreign Ministry had filed a lawsuit of lesividad considering that there were administrative breaches in the nationalization, which was then ratified by the court.
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