17 August 2012, Ecuadorian presidential staff adviser, Alexis Mera, announced: “We are open to discuss with Britain the solution to this problem, and if there is no diplomatic solution, we may resort to the International Court of Justice.”

Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patino, also said that the Swedish sex crimes trial is just a ruse, that Assange would be handed over to the United States as soon as he arrived in Sweden. This qualifies Assange for protection under the “fair trial” clause of the internationally accepted (excepted for the United Kingdom) asylum rules.

“They have to comply with diplomatic and legal obligations under the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and respect the sovereignty of a country that has granted asylum.”-Baltasar Garzon, Assange legal team