Featured image: Rafael Correa, former president of Ecuador, walks up a staircase with the flag of Belgium hanging from the railing. Photo: EFE
Belgium recognizes political persecution against the former president of Ecuador and blocks a new extradition request.
Belgium announced through a press release this Friday, April 22, that it recognizes the political persecution against ex-president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, and that the Belgian government has granted him political asylum for that reason.
“Belgium thus joins countries such as Mexico and Bolivia, which have also welcomed various former government officials and members of Correa’s party, victims of evident persecution, as political asylum seekers,” reads the statement.
The statement added, “After becoming the main opponent of the new government, he [Correa] began to receive, like his fellow party members, brutal judicial harassment, the culmination of which was a spurious sentence and suspension of his political rights a few hours before his registration as candidate for the elections of the year 2021.”
URGENTE | Bélgica reconoce la persecución política a @MashiRafael y le concede ASILO POLÍTICO. #BastaDePersecución pic.twitter.com/jxqlk4iPGQ
— Bancada Unión por la Esperanza – UNES (@BancadaUNESec) April 22, 2022
The Belgian statement also pointed out that the Interpol File Control Commission has denied Ecuador all the red alerts against Rafael Correa and the former officials of his government, due to the flagrant denial of justice in Ecuador according to Interpol.
This statement comes after the National Court of Justice (CNJ) of Ecuador announced on Thursday the start of a new extradition process against Rafael Correa. “The Kingdom of Belgium is requested to extradite Rafael Correa Delgado so that once he is in our country, he complies with the custodial sentence imposed against him for his participation as Immediate Author of the crime of bribery,” stated the Ecuadorian court.
📄 #Comunicado | Presidente de la @CorteNacional de Justicia, @ivansaquicela, solicita a Bélgica la extradición de Rafael Correa Delgado ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VChZMhk1tQ
— Corte Nacional (@CorteNacional) April 22, 2022
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The former president of Ecuador was sentenced to eight years in prison for the crime of aggravated passive bribery in the Bribes Case 2012-2016.
Otro papelón, lamentablemente no solo de este 🤡 sino de todo el sistema judicial y del Gobierno del cual es títere.
¿Quieren apostar?#LosCorruptosSiempreFueronEllos https://t.co/CxWZ1VJdiT— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) April 22, 2022
Correa’s legal defense team said that this new case “reveals the lawfare against him and his movement.”
Featured image: Rafael Correa, former president of Ecuador, walks up a staircase with the flag of Belgium hanging from the railing. Photo: EFE
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/EF/SC
