Britain’s decision to invoke an obscure domestic law to threaten to strip the Ecuadorian embassy in London of its diplomatic status over the Julian Assange asylum row has caused surprise and is seen as setting a dangerous precedent.
A former British Ambassador to Moscow told the BBC that it appeared inconsistent with the international law on diplomatic relations and could make Britain’s own missions abroad insecure.
The Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 allows the Government to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy under certain circumstances — this potentially paves the way for the police to enter the Ecuadorian mission in London to arrest Mr. Assange for breaching his bail conditions.
The Act was introduced after a British policewoman was killed after being shot by someone from inside the Libyan Embassy in London in 1984. It has never been invoked before and many even within the British foreign office are not aware of its existence.
In a letter to the Ecuadorian Government on Wednesday in a bid to dissuade it from granting asylum to Mr. Assange, the British Foreign Office warned that it had legal basis under the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act “to take actions in order to arrest Mr. Assange in the current premises of the embassy”.
“We very much hope not to get this point [revoking diplomatic status], but if you cannot resolve the issue of Mr. Assange’s presence on your premises, this route is open to us,” it said.
Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino hit back describing it as “a blatant” disregard for international law and an “explicit type of blackmail”. He said if the threat was carried out it would be interpreted by Ecuador as “an unacceptable, unfriendly and hostile act and as an attempt against our sovereignty which would require us to respond with greater diplomatic force”.
On Thursday, the British Foreign Office sought to play down the threat saying it was committed to finding a negotiated settlement.
Keywords: WikiLeaks, Assange asylum
I am ashamed that I once held British values and sense of justice as among the top of the world !!!!
Why the the United kingdom should not be expelled from the United
Nations if it does not act in accordance with Geneva convention , a
lesson to be taught to Britain so that rest of the countries does
dare to to say and follow the UK's way of respecting international
convention.
None of the countries is above accepted international convention and
can continue to be members of the United Nations if it acts in contravention of Accepted INTERNATIONAL convention.
There needs to be automatic expulsion class.
The international court needs to be urged for a special sitting.
It is same every where. In India we dig out cases against Ramdev or Mayawati or Mulayam or Lallu using pliable CBI to make them fall in line. So are UK or USA so called democracies of the world, try to book Assange on some issue because he made all their machinations public.
Even if they succeed in kidnapping or assassinating him, he would still tear the facade of UK and Sweden as bastion of democracy and freedom.
How can they risk war to arrest someone who is not even charged with a
crime?!
Thats a shame. Whatever happened to the British values of Justice.
The Political establishment as well as the powerful business honchos
worldwide whether belonging to free world or not hv got common
mentality of not exhibiting transparency beyond a particular limit of
tolerance when their vested interests are affected . when they
circumscribe the ethical limits for themselves & adopt approach ' So
much & no more .'The Julian Assange episode is the best example for
this.Britain wants to storm Equadorian Embassy to arrest JA throwing
to winds the international norms.If that is so then there is no diff
bet Britain & Muslim & African countries who throw democratic norms to
the winds day in & day out saying that modern democracy is anathema to
basic "Islamic " teachings. THE TROUBLE IS if u tolerate JA then THE
LIVES OF YOUR INFORMANTS WILL BE IN JEOPARDY & that will give setback
to your Intelligence efforts worldwide. I feel there is nothing
offending or offensive untruth in my statement. Satyam bruyat priyam
bruyat na bruyat satyam apriyam....
Goodbye dreams of democracy, Goodybye Truth. It will soon be a crime
to believe the Truth, you will be arrested if you don't swallow
Propaganda and regurgitate it. You will be arrested for thinking for
yourself and not saying what everyone else does. You will be murdered
if you expose powerful criminals who are beyond reproach. How dare
people speak out about genocidal politicians who regularly rape,
murder and pillage for empire expansion and resource gathering. Don't
the people know what powerful tyrants we are, YES WE DO, and we are
sick and tired of WAR CRIMINALS, Corruption, POVERTY driven by Capitalism, greed and LIES! Everyone knows WHO the real Criminals
are, and they work in Washington.
Why doesn't the Embassy test what Britain will do by making someone
'look like' Assange and then exit the Embassy.
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