Quito: The Ecuadorian embassies in the United States and Britain have received over 10,000 messages in support of political asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian authorities announced on Tuesday.
"More than 10,000 emails have been received at the moment," Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a public statement from Quito.
"Thousands of people asking the Ecuadorian government to accord asylum to Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, sent a steady stream of messages saying why they support him," the statement added.
Mr Assange worries that from Sweden, he will be extradited to the United States to face possible espionage charges, after releasing more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks site.
Among the signatures on the petition were those of film directors Michael Moore and Oliver Stone, actor Danny Glover and philosopher Noam Chomsky.
Mr Correa responded to the call for asylum on Tuesday, saying that Quito must first "analyze the judicial process in Sweden" and that "these things take time. It's not that simple."
Mr Correa, a leftist leader critical of Washington, has already expressed sympathy for the WikiLeaks founder and said that his country will not accept instances of "political persecution."
"More than 10,000 emails have been received at the moment," Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a public statement from Quito.
"Thousands of people asking the Ecuadorian government to accord asylum to Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, sent a steady stream of messages saying why they support him," the statement added.
Mr Assange worries that from Sweden, he will be extradited to the United States to face possible espionage charges, after releasing more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks site.
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Among the signatures on the petition were those of film directors Michael Moore and Oliver Stone, actor Danny Glover and philosopher Noam Chomsky.
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Mr Correa responded to the call for asylum on Tuesday, saying that Quito must first "analyze the judicial process in Sweden" and that "these things take time. It's not that simple."
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Mr Correa, a leftist leader critical of Washington, has already expressed sympathy for the WikiLeaks founder and said that his country will not accept instances of "political persecution."
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