Belgium granted political asylum to Rafael Correa and prevented his extradition to Ecuador to serve his sentence on corruption charges.

Belgium grants political asylum to former Ecuadorean President Rafael CorreaShe confirmed to the news agency EFE Former President’s Advocate, Christophe Marchand.

In the decision who had access EFE dated April 15th, UNHCR Belgium confirms that it grants Korea refugee status in this countrywhere he has been living since 2017 because his wife Ann Malherbede comes from there.

Marchand explained that the asylum application was launched after a legal process began in Ecuador in 2018 that linked it to the alleged kidnapping of an opponent in 2012, the so-called “rack case“.

Belgium asked them to prove the existence of political persecution in Ecuador against Korea to which they contributed.”Documenting criminal cases brought against you for political motives“yes”He aims to hinder his political lifeBelgian lawyer said.

Marchand declared that he was “happy” that the case had been resolved, because he confirmed, after 25 years in the profession, that he knew “how difficult it is to grant Belgium asylum.”.

Correa, who ruled from 2007 to 2017 as one of the standards of the left in Latin America, is posthumously residing in Belgium and burdening himself in Ecuador with an eight-year prison sentence and political incompetence for the case.”2012-2016 bribes″.

Request Ecuador

President of the National Court of Justice of Ecuador, Evan SakisilaAnd Already requested delivery BeltHe is a fugitive from Ecuadorean justice because he was He was sentenced to eight years in prison for bribery In the 2012-2016 bribery case, because the court decided that there was a bribery scheme that was intended to finance country allianceKorea’s Extinct Party.

He informed Saquicela in a televised interview that he would ask Chancellery to notify Belgium about the request.

This is not the first time that the Ecuadorean judiciary has tried to bring Correa back and pay his sentence. Until now, Ecuador has requested three INTERPOL radio alerts for his arrest, but this was rejected. However, in May 2021, a court of judges in the country indicated that an INTERPOL alert is not necessary for extradition, because it is known that korea lives in belgium. Saquicela emphasized Infobae what or what This is the first time that extradition has been requested.Previously, only the red broadcast alert was requested.

Gate achievement investigative journalismfrom the legislator now Fernando Villavicenciowhich also investigated the Alex Saab and Petrochina cases in Ecuador, The authorities alerted the start of judicial procedures, which ended with the issuance of sentences against 20 people, including former President Correa and Vice President Jorge Glass. The Court of Cassation that sentenced them said that the previous authorities “They are the perpetrators under the influence of incitement through their cognitive influence“.

Since his term expired in 2017, Rafael Correa has been living in Belgium. sakesila He noted that within his powers as President of the National Court of Justice, he initiated the procedures for requesting the extradition of Korea and stressed that: Ten judges ratified the ruling against the former president in various degrees.

Rafael Correa He has responded to Saquicela’s announcement on Twitter. The former president called the president of the National Court a “clown” and wrote that this was “another piece of paper” for Ecuadorean justice.

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