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In reply to the discussion: UK 'threatens' to raid Ecuador embassy over Assange [View all]struggle4progress
(118,235 posts)just as certainly as it values its relations with the great nation of Sweden. The UK believes strongly in the importance of international law, just as certainly as it values the importance of international law
After considering the matter slowly and carefully, however, the UK has probably concluded that Mr Assange is the subject of a Swedish warrant, that the Swedes have sued in UK to enforce said warrant, that the UK courts have decided said suit on behalf of the Swedes, that Mr Assange declined any further appeal, that Mr Assange has been directed to surrender to police for extradition, and that Mr Assange is in violation of his bail conditions
Examining the matter in more detail, the UK has probably noticed that Mr Assange has not surrendered to police in the UK, because the Ecuadorian embassy shelters him
After further considering the matter slowly and carefully, however, the UK is probably aware that Ecuador maintains in London an ambassador whose credentials have been properly accepted at the Court of St James, that the UK has signed various treaties to protect diplomats with their families and staff, that these treaties represent important international understandings, that these treaties apply in particular to the Ecuadorian mission, and that London is generally pleased to host Quito's mission because the mission lubricates relations between the countries to the benefit of both
Unfortunately, at the present moment, the UK has also noticed that the Ecuadorian embassy might seem to interfere with the enforcement of a judgment of the UK courts and might appear to prevent the UK from honoring a treaty obligation with its near-neighbor Sweden
It is probable that the UK has thoroughly discussed this matter with Ecuador over a period of several months now, in the hopes of explaining to Ecuador not only the operation of the UK courts and the safeguards available at law to parties of suits in those courts but also the overall importance to the UK of honoring the domestic rule of law as well as its international treaty obligations and in particular its obligations to the great nation of Sweden
It is also probable that the UK has explored with Ecuador the question of Ecuadorian involvement in this matter, pointing out to Ecuador that adherence to the rule of law would suggest that Ecuador's interests might best have been served if the issues were raised prior and timely in the UK courts rather than by post hoc extrajudicial interference
If, however, after still further considering the matter slowly and carefully, the UK should begin to find that Ecuador is willing to use its diplomatic mission to prevent the enforcement of judgments of domestic courts in the UK and to interfere in the UK's ability to honor its own treaty obligations with friendly neighboring states, then dedication to the rule of law in both domestic and international matters will require the UK to take further steps, to ensure that the UK can enforce judgments of its own courts and can honor its own treaty obligations, for which reason the UK will naturally want its good friend, the great nation of Ecuador, to understand just how very seriously the UK regards the judgments of its own courts and the honoring of its own treaty obligations