The epic legal battles of Julian Assange continue, but the WikiLeaks founder might be seeing a bit of sun breaking through the clouds in the forecast for his future.
Although the decision may not be official or final, the Guardian reports that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa says he will grant Assange asylum, according to an official in that country. Assange, who has been fighting to avoid extradition to Sweden on allegations of sexual misconduct, has been staying in Ecuador’s London Embassy since June.
The latest news isn’t as clear as Assange might hope, however. While some Ecuadorian government officials see the Internet activist’s request as a humanitarian issue, the country’s foreign minister has disputed media reports, saying a decision has yet to be reached. Along with an incredibly complex process, granting asylum would strain Ecuador’s relations with Britain, Sweden, and the United States. Then again, the move would probably also guarantee Ecuador protection from damaging document dumps from WikiLeaks in the future—ahh, the benefits of harboring alleged criminals!
