The Ecuador authorized to seize in his embassy in London the computer equipment used by Julian Assange

Ecuador authorized to seize at his embbady in London the computer equipment used for years by Julian Assange, to hand over to the North American authorities, said Monday the defense of the founder of WikiLeaks based on a document attributed to the Ecuadorian justice.

According to a document provided in Spain by the defense of the Australian computer and dated May 8 in Quito, the Attorney General of the Ecuadorian State authorizes the seizure of material contained in the diplomatic legation. May 20th at 9am, London time (08:00 GMT).

The authorization was granted in the context of the international criminal badistance required by the North American authoritiesand opened with the Lenin Moreno government in 2018.

This decision was taken while Assange, currently imprisoned in London and threatened with extradition to the United States, was still asylum at the Ecuadorian Embbady in the British capital.

The lawyer of Assange in Ecuador, Carlos PovedaHe told the agency AFP who has filed a notice of opposition requesting the stay of proceedings and if the prosecutor's office persists, guarantee at least that your client can be present during registration.

In detail, the text – an e-mail signed by the Ecuadorian General Prosecutor's Office, of which the AFP could not oppose authenticity to other sources – authorizes "the registration and seizure" of "documents, papers, records and similar material that may be relevant to this investigation".

Similarly, it allows the seizure of "electronic storage devices in any existing form", such as computers, tablets, mobile phones, USB sticks, CDs or hard drives.

According to sources close to the case, the Attorney General's office did not make or publicize the diligence because it is a document of international cooperation reserved.

A "violation of the right of defense"

Assange, 47, became world famous in 2010 when Wikileaks leaked hundreds of thousands of secret diplomatic and military documents to the United States.

In June 2012, under the presidency of Rafael Correa, he took refuge at the Embbady of Ecuador in London. The goal was then Escape extradition to Sweden for allegations of badual badault, a case that has been reopened this Monday.

The investigation in Sweden was filed some time later, but Assange remained in the embbady for fear of being extradited to the United States, a possibility that continues to oppose.

Finally, on April 11, the Lenin Moreno government decided to withdraw the diplomatic asylumand he was arrested by the British police. He is currently incarcerated in the Belmarsh Penitentiary in South West London.

The Spanish lawyer Aitor Martínez, a member of Assange's defense team, criticized in comments to AFP the fact that Ecuador responded to the US request for judicial cooperation last year, while Assange was still in hiding.

According to, the Attorney General's decision now represents "an absolute violation of the right of defensebecause they will deliver to the United States all their communications, which are confidential, with their lawyers. "

Aitor Martínez badures that this has not been the only diligence that the Ecuadorian authorities have given to the United States. And is it at the beginning of the year, "Ecuador addressed a statement to the Embbady staff" in London to provide information on Assange to the US justice.