Ecuador Pulls London Ambassador, Further Isolating Julian Assange

The isolation is growing for Assange. A recent move by the government of Ecuador to remove the ambassador has removed a familiar face from Assange's narrow circle of contacts. This could be step forward in removing Assange from the embassy.

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Equador's president, Lenin Moreno, forced Ambassador Carlos Abad Ortiz to leave his post at the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London. Moreno signed an executive decree on Wednesday. Ambassador Abad had been in charge of Ecuador's diplomatic mission in London since 2015. He was also influential in securing Assange's future at the embassy.

News broke on the WikiLeaks twitter account on Thursday:

Ecuador's president has signed a decree terminating the ambassador to the United Kingdom, Carlos Abad. All diplomats known to Assange have now been terminated to transferred away from the embassy.

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Assange's legal team in Ecuador are disappointed with the ambassador's removal, and that this is "not an isolated incident" as the president puts pressure on Assange and closes in to remove him from the embassy. Abad was very familiar with the Assange case, says lawyer Carlos Poveda:

"Abad was fully aware of all the details regarding Julian Assange's case, and there was a relationship of trust but with distance with him."

A new ambassador that is more loyal to the wishes of the president could aid in expelling Assange quicker. The situation has already grown quite sour in the last few weeks as Poveda continues to explain:

"There is a hostile relationship between Assange and the embassy staff in the last few weeks."

Assanges outlook at the embassy wasn't so grim prior to Moreno taking office as the new president of Ecuador. He has since been making life more difficult for Assange in his effort to compel Assange to leave himself. But between being treated like shit and going to a show-trial in the U.S. to face life in prison, it's no wonder why Assange is putting up with it.

Yet, despite the harsher terms of Assange's asylum and greater restrictions on him, the government of Ecaudor denies they are doing this. The Ecuadorian Attorney General Inigo Salvador even told reporters last month that they weren't "looking to revoke" the asylum. But the moves being played by the Ecuadorian government indicate otherwise. The removal of Abad sure seems like another move in the playbook to push Assange out.

Former consul at the embassy, Fidel Narvaez, agrees, saying it's a bad omen for the future of the WikiLeaks founder's asylum status:

"It seems like Ambassador Abad does not fit in with the strategy that has given up on protecting Julian and that aims to annoy him and make him break (so that) he leaves the embassy on his own."

Narvaez, who considers himself a friend of Assange, says Abad should have remained at his post until 2020, as career diplomats keep their positions for 4-5 years. He confirms that Abad was more in favor of protecting Assange that helping to cast him out:

"I know Ambassador Abad and I have huge respect for him as a person and as a professional. I'm sure he felt uncomfortable with the government's hostile strategy toward Assange."

Narvaez also thinks the government will appoint someonw who is less welcoming to Assange, and more likely to aid in getting him out. Though Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Jose Valencia denies any claims of a connection between the removal of Abad and Assange's case:

*"The case of London has nothing to do with the case of Assange. We have a relationship with the UK that is handled between the two countries -- for example, the fight against corruption. There is more activity in the UK apart from the situation regarding Assange."

He further said they gave Assange "options" on how his future plays out:

"One is to leave and turn himself over to the British justice, facing the consequences for violating his bail conditions in the UK and the other one is to stay in the embassy but following the protocol rules that try to regulate his cohabitation in a workplace."

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Assange will have to essentially paying rent starting December 1st, if he wants to stay there. Assange's lawyers are appealing a ruling that said he must obey the rules if he wants to stay an asylum gust at the embassy. The Ecudadorian Judge Karla Martinez said Ecuador was "not violating his fundamental rights".

It seems like the noose is getting tighter and the darkness is closing in on Assange.

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References:

• Will shake-up at London embassy leave Assange out in the cold?
• Assange must obey new rules to stay in London embassy, judge says

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