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| Britain Rejects Bid to Grant Julian Assange Diplomatic Status | Britain Rejects Bid to Grant Julian Assange Diplomatic Status |
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| LONDON — The British government has rejected a request from Ecuador to grant diplomatic status to Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks co-founder who has been living in a tiny room in the South American country’s embassy in London since 2012 after seeking political asylum. | LONDON — The British government has rejected a request from Ecuador to grant diplomatic status to Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks co-founder who has been living in a tiny room in the South American country’s embassy in London since 2012 after seeking political asylum. |
| “Ecuador knows that the way to resolve this issue is for Julian Assange to leave the embassy to face justice,” the Foreign Office said in a statement, adding that Britain was not in talks with Ecuador about the matter. | “Ecuador knows that the way to resolve this issue is for Julian Assange to leave the embassy to face justice,” the Foreign Office said in a statement, adding that Britain was not in talks with Ecuador about the matter. |
| Diplomatic status might provide legal immunity for Mr. Assange, allowing him to leave the embassy, where he initially sought refuge after Sweden sought to have him arrested in connection with allegations of rape and assault. | Diplomatic status might provide legal immunity for Mr. Assange, allowing him to leave the embassy, where he initially sought refuge after Sweden sought to have him arrested in connection with allegations of rape and assault. |
| That, in turn, could allow him to travel to Ecuador, where there is speculation that he has been granted citizenship. The Ecuadorean Embassy in London would not comment on the matter. | That, in turn, could allow him to travel to Ecuador, where there is speculation that he has been granted citizenship. The Ecuadorean Embassy in London would not comment on the matter. |
| Sweden is no longer seeking his extradition, but his bigger concern is whether the United States would try to have him extradited for his role in the release of documents that officials have called damaging to national security. | Sweden is no longer seeking his extradition, but his bigger concern is whether the United States would try to have him extradited for his role in the release of documents that officials have called damaging to national security. |
| The United States attorney general, Jeff Sessions, has said that arresting Mr. Assange is a priority. | The United States attorney general, Jeff Sessions, has said that arresting Mr. Assange is a priority. |
| “We have professionals that have been in the security business of the United States for many years that are shocked by the number of leaks, and some of them are quite serious,” he said last year. | “We have professionals that have been in the security business of the United States for many years that are shocked by the number of leaks, and some of them are quite serious,” he said last year. |
| When Swedish prosecutors dropped their effort to have him extradited last year, they said it was not for reasons of guilt or innocence but because they saw no hope of compelling Mr. Assange to leave the embassy. | When Swedish prosecutors dropped their effort to have him extradited last year, they said it was not for reasons of guilt or innocence but because they saw no hope of compelling Mr. Assange to leave the embassy. |
| However, the British police say that he is still subject to arrest on charges of jumping bail, and Mr. Assange faces the strong possibility that the United States has issued a secret arrest and extradition warrant in connection with his assistance to Chelsea Manning, the Army private who was later convicted of revealing state secrets. | However, the British police say that he is still subject to arrest on charges of jumping bail, and Mr. Assange faces the strong possibility that the United States has issued a secret arrest and extradition warrant in connection with his assistance to Chelsea Manning, the Army private who was later convicted of revealing state secrets. |
| The request comes amid a flurry of activity suggesting that the Ecuadorean government had ramped up efforts to find a solution for Mr. Assange, a polarizing figure in Ecuador and around the world. | |
| The country’s foreign minister, María Fernanda Espinosa, said on Tuesday that Ecuador was looking for a third-party mediator that could broker a deal to allow Mr. Assange to leave the embassy. | The country’s foreign minister, María Fernanda Espinosa, said on Tuesday that Ecuador was looking for a third-party mediator that could broker a deal to allow Mr. Assange to leave the embassy. |
| “We’re considering, exploring the possibility of a mediation,” she said, according to Reuters. “No solution can be reached without international cooperation and without cooperation from the United Kingdom, which in addition has shown interest in finding a solution.” | “We’re considering, exploring the possibility of a mediation,” she said, according to Reuters. “No solution can be reached without international cooperation and without cooperation from the United Kingdom, which in addition has shown interest in finding a solution.” |
| Greg Barns, a lawyer who advises both Mr. Assange and WikiLeaks, said in a telephone interview from New Zealand that the situation was “intolerable” for both his client and for Ecuador. | Greg Barns, a lawyer who advises both Mr. Assange and WikiLeaks, said in a telephone interview from New Zealand that the situation was “intolerable” for both his client and for Ecuador. |
| The embassy is in the affluent Knightsbridge section of London, but Mr. Assange, he said, has been effectively “imprisoned with no access to natural light and fresh air for a period of five and a half years.” | The embassy is in the affluent Knightsbridge section of London, but Mr. Assange, he said, has been effectively “imprisoned with no access to natural light and fresh air for a period of five and a half years.” |
| Mr. Barns suggested that the Australian government would be an obvious candidate to step in as a third-party mediator, given that Mr. Assange is a citizen of Australia, which has excellent relations with Britain. | Mr. Barns suggested that the Australian government would be an obvious candidate to step in as a third-party mediator, given that Mr. Assange is a citizen of Australia, which has excellent relations with Britain. |
| Mr. Barns also said that he had previously asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, a former colleague, to intervene, but that he had not received a response. | Mr. Barns also said that he had previously asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, a former colleague, to intervene, but that he had not received a response. |