Ecuador to decide on Assange asylum this week

President Rafael Correa of Ecuador says he hopes to be able to announce this week whether he will grant political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Correa told state TV that it was necessary to examine a great deal of material about international law in order to make a responsible, informed decision. He said he expected to have the latest reports in hand by Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_417113” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Assange has been in the Ecuador embassy since 19 June: AP[/caption] Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s embassy in London on 19 June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning for alleged sexual misconduct. Correa said Monday that Ecuador is concerned Assange could run the risk of being extradited to the United States and possibly face the death sentence there. Assange’s supporters believe he has been secretly indicted there. Associated Press