Hague says Assange solution possible

4 Sep 2012, 6:56 am   -   Source: AAP
The British government has urged Ecuador to resume talks over the fate of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. (AAP)

The British government has urged Ecuador to resume talks over the fate of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. (AAP)

The British government is urging Ecuador to resume talks over the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

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British Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged Ecuador to resume talks "as early as possible" over the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

In an update on the case to MPs, Hague said he believed a diplomatic solution could be found to the stand-off.

It was "a matter of regret" that the South American country had granted asylum to Assange - who has been holed up in its London embassy since June.

The 41-year-old Australian faces arrest and extradition to Sweden for questioning over sexual offence allegations if he sets foot outside the building in Knightsbridge,

In a recent TV interview broadcast in Ecuador, Assange said he believed it would take between six and 12 months for the issue to be resolved.

Hague said last week "a solution is not in sight" to the row, but in a written statement to parliament on Monday, Hague expressed hope that progress could be made through renewed talks.

There had already been seven formal discussions as well as "many other conversations and written exchanges" it the search for a solution, he told MPs.

Any suggestion that extradition to Sweden posed a risk to Assange's human rights was "completely unfounded" and had been "comprehensively rejected" by UK courts, he pointed out.

Quite apart from international obligations, the UK had "complete confidence in the independence and fairness of the Swedish judicial system", he said.

Ecuador has also been assured that fears Assange could be extradited to the US from Sweden and face the death penalty were "without foundation", Hague said.

A spokesman for the Ecuadorian government in London said Hague's statement only partly addressed the issues.

"The most significant omission was his failure to address the issue of extradition to a third party and specifically the USA," he said.

"The Ecuadorian government would welcome cast iron guarantees from the UK government that will make sure that the fate that has befallen Bradley Manning will not be meted out to Mr Assange.

"If the UK provided these basic human rights guarantees, then we believe that there would be a quick, fair and honourable solution to the present impasse."

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