Ecuador’s president, Lenín Moreno, was assured by two British foreign secretaries that Julian Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face the death penalty, according to letters seen by the Guardian. The letters appear to back up Moreno’s claim that he had written assurances from Britain that Assange’s fundamental rights would be respected.
Letters signed by the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and his predecessor Boris Johnson, dated 7 March 2018 and 10 August 2018 respectively, confirm that according to British legislation, a person cannot be extradited if they could face the death penalty.
In cases of competing extradition requests in the UK, the home secretary selects the country that should take priority.
A virtually identical letters read: “You have expressed concern that, should Julian Assange be extradited from the UK, there would be a risk that he could be subject to the death penalty. I can confirm that under UK law, a person’s extradition cannot be ordered if the person concerned will be subject to the death penalty.”
Ecuador’s decision to allow police to seize Assange inside its embassy last week followed a period of deteriorating relations between the Quito government and Assange, whom its foreign minister, José Valencia, described as rude and unhygienic.
In a 12-page letter seen by The Guardian, dated 10 April 2019 (just a day before the whistleblower was removed from the country’s London embassy)
Ecuador’s Foreign Minister stated a number of reasons for stripping Assange of asylum, particularly singling out his “reproachable conduct rather than showing gratitude”, his deteriorating health and the cost of his upkeep. Ecuador spent more $5.8m on its guest’s security between 2012 and 2018 and nearly $400,000 on his medical costs, food and laundry, Valencia noted.