Ecuador: Assange’s citizenship revoked by court

WikiLeaks founder Assange’s Ecuadorian citizenship revoked by court Assange is currently in custody in the UK. In 2012 he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy.

Ecuador has revoked its Ecuadorian citizenship from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Assange’s lawyer, Carlos Boweda, told AP News that the decision was made without a fair trial. Assange was not allowed to appear in court.

“On the day (Assange) was summoned, he lost his freedom and was in a health crisis at the Freedom Lack Center where he was detained,” Bowada said. He will appeal to clarify the decision.

Ecuadorian citizenship from 2018

Assange is being held at Belmarsh Prison in the UK for maximum security. He was arrested in 2019 for breach of bail. In 2012 he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he stayed for seven years. He wanted to avoid being handed over to Sweden on charges of rape and sexual assault.

Assange became an Ecuadorian citizen in January 2018. Ecuador wanted Assange to be granted diplomatic status to leave the embassy in London. The court on Monday revoked Assange’s citizenship. The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry told the AP that the court “acted independently”.

The judiciary informed Assange in response to a State Department complaint that his citizenship was invalid. Authorities have been accused of inconsistencies in the naturalization letter to Assange.