Ecuadorian court rules against former VP’s asylum request
On Friday (12), a court in Ecuador declared the detention of former vice president Jorge Glas at the Mexican Embassy in Quito as illegal and arbitrary. However, Glas was kept in prison because he had not yet served an eight-year sentence for two convictions. The court found that Glas’s rights were violated due to the Ecuadorian State not following proper procedure for operations in diplomatic missions. Despite this, the court denied the request for habeas corpus to annul his detention and have him handed over to Mexico for asylum.
Glas had been sentenced to six years in prison in 2017 for illicit association in the Odebrecht case, and to eight years in 2020 for receiving bribes in a case related to the irregular financing of Correa’s political movement. Recently, Glas sought pre-release to avoid returning to prison after serving most of his sentence but was denied. He was arrested on a preventive order related to embezzlement of public funds.
Glas has been at the Mexican Embassy since December 17th, 2023, seeking asylum and claiming political persecution. The Mexican government granted him asylum, leading to a diplomatic crisis with Ecuador. Despite being granted asylum, Ecuadorian police and military forces stormed the embassy and arrested Glas on charges of fraudulent document trafficking and criminal organization membership. He is currently held at La Roca prison where he claims he has been subjected to torture during his arrest.
The court hearing Glass’s habeas corpus request ruled that there was no responsibility on part of Ecuador’s president or Minister of Government and Interior and declared itself incompetent to decide on the asylum granted to Glass. The Ecuadorian government argued that Glass faced common criminal charges despite his claim of political persecution. The situation remains complex with Glass continuing his quest for asylum while Ecuador enforces its legal system.
The situation remains complex with Glass continuing his quest for asylum while Ecuador enforces its legal system.
