Friends,
The government of the UK has threatened to forcefully and illegally enter the Ecuadorian embassy in London in order to arrest Julian Assange who has been granted political asylum by Ecuador.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/16/julian-assange-ecuador-embassy-asylum
This would be a flagrant violation of international law, and an obvious kowtowing to the US which will probably have little difficulty extraditing Assange from Sweden if he is forced to return there to face trumped-up charges. Article 22 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that:
1.The premises of the mission shall be inviolable. The agents of the receiving State may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission.
2.The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity.
3.The premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution.
Please write to the British High Commission in Canada and request that the UK government show respect for international law and withdraw their threat. Even something as simple as:
Dear High Commissioner,
Will you please explain to me why your government has declared its intention to illegally enter the Ecuadorian embassy in London in direct violation of Article 22 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. etc
The High Commissioner is Dr. Andrew Pocock CMG and can be reached at:
UKinCanada@fco.gov.uk
British High Commission
80 Elgin Street
Ottawa ON K1P 5K7
Phone: (1) (613) 237 1530
Fax: (1) (613) 232 0738
The sooner you write or call, the better.
Thanks!
Brooks
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