President of Ecuador claims sharing a bed can't lead to rape as he defends Julian Assange
- Labeled claims by two women 'highly suspicious'
- Insisted '90 to 95 per cent of the planet' would not consider the WikiLeaks founder's actions a crime
|
The president of Ecuador has dismissed the sex assault accusations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, appearing to suggest a man cannot rape a woman he shares a bed with.
President Rafael Correa said Assange's alleged actions would not be considered crimes in '90 to 95 per cent of the planet.'
He is wanted in Sweden over claims of sexual assault by two women.
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa speaking during one of his weekly broadcasts. He suggested Assange's alleged actions do not amount to crime
Ecuador gave asylum to Assange 10 days ago, two months after he took refuge in the country's London Embassy.
Platinum haired Assange, whose friendships with the rich and famous have helped make him a global celebrity, fears if he is returned to Sweden he could face extradition to America to face charges over the release of diplomatic cables.
Wanted: Assange prepares to make a statement outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London earlier this month. He has been given asylum at the Embassy
When asked how allegedly using force to begin intercourse could not be a crime, the Sunday Times reports Rafael Correa replied: 'A woman he was staying with? Sleeping together in the same bed? Let's pass on this and leave it to the Swedish justice system.
'But for example not to use a condom in an act between a couple this is not a crime in Latin America'.
Assange stands accused of of allegedly having sex without a condom with one woman while she slept, following earlier consensual sex.
Lawyers for Assange say when she awoke she consented to sex.
A lawyer for Assange has also said a second woman also claims to have tried to reach out for a condom 'several times' but he stopped her by holding her arms.
The president went on to question if the sex was forced, why 41-year-old Assange had been allowed to stay in the same house, asking why, if the woman had been attacked she did not 'abandon' or 'denounce' him.
President Correa said one of the women had called her alleged attacker a 'super cool guy' .
He said: 'Then how did he become a rapist by 8 o' clock the next morning?' before adding it was 'very suspicious'.
He insisted Ecuador's decision to grant asylum to the Australian activist has been unrelated to the women's claims.
Asylum: A man walks past a barrier with Free Julian Assange posters opposite the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Assange has been taking refuge there since June 19
Over the last 18 months a federal grand jury has been investigating links between WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning, a private in the US army who faces court martial for disclosing highly sensitive documents.
President Correa's defence of Assange comes after similar remarks by George Galloway, the Respect MP, who said the complaints were 'not rape as anyone with any sense can possibly recognise it.'
And it also comes after Britain has withdrawn a supposed threat to enter Ecuador's embassy in to arrest Assange.
President Correa said on Saturday during a weekly media address, that the diplomatic standoff was 'over'.
In a statement, Ecuador's government said it had received 'a communication from the British Foreign Office which said that there was no threat to enter the embassy.'
Ecuador had been left furious after leaked documents revealed the British government might try to seize Assange if he left the embassy.
It is hoped relations will now improve between Quito and London and allow more talks on Assange's fate to take place.
For now, however, Assange remains trapped in the embassy with British police waiting outside.
Britain has said it is determined to fulfill a legal obligation to send him to Sweden.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...e.html#ixzz24ezsqNVg