Ecuador has granted asylum to the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, while fighting extradition from the United Kingdom.

Mr. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy after the UK’s Supreme Court dismissed a bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him two-weeks grace period before extradition proceedings could start.

The Australian national said being granted political asylum by Ecuador was a “significant victory” and thanked staff in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Open blackmail
Announcing Ecuador’s decision, Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino launched a strong attack on the UK for what he said was an “explicit type of blackmail”.

He accused the United Kingdom of making an “open threat” to enter its embassy to arrest Assange.

“We can’t allow spokespeople from the UK to gleefully say they have been honest when they have threatened us in such a way,” Patino said.

Mr. Patino said Ecuador believed Assange’s fears of political persecution were “legitimate”.

He said the country was being loyal to its tradition of protecting those who were vulnerable.

“We trust that our friendship with the United Kingdom will remain intact,” he added.

Legal obligation
The United Kingdom Foreign Office has said it was “disappointed” by the statement credited to Ecuador’s Foreign Minister.

It warned in a note that it could lift the embassy’s diplomatic status to fulfil a “legal obligation” to extradite the 41 years old, by using the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act of 1987.

The Act allows the United Kingdom to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr. Assange for breaching the terms of his bail.

“We shall carry out that obligation. The Ecuadorian government’s decision this afternoon does not change that,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The Foreign Office however, said it remained committed to reaching a “negotiated solution” that allows it to carry it obligations under the Extradition Act”.

It means Mr. Assange’s arrest would still be sought if he left the embassy.

On Twitter, Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, said the country’s “firm legal and constitutional system guarantees the rights of each and everyone. We firmly reject any accusations to the contrary.”

Sex offence accusations
The Wikileaks website that Mr. Assange founded, published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly the United States, in 2010.

In 2010, two female ex-Wikileaks volunteers accused Mr. Assange of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

Mr. Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.

He argues that if extradited to Sweden, he will then be passed on to the American authorities.

BBC/Ibisaki/Hajia Sani