Will International Law Retain the Upper Hand?: Diplomatic Asylum and Its Legal Frameworks in Europe and Latin America: Lessons from the Cases of Julian Assange and Jorge Glas

The case of Jorge Glas has brought the legal status of diplomatic asylum in public international law back into the public spotlight. In this Saar Blueprint, Anna Kohte examines and compares the legal frameworks in Europe and Latin America. She begins with the case of Julian Assange, who was granted asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012. She points out that in Europe, diplomatic asylum is not recognised under either treaty law or customary international law. The situation in Latin America is different. Using the case of former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who sought refuge in the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador, the author analyses the legal implications of diplomatic asylum in Latin America. Following Glas's violent abduction from the embassy by Ecuadorian special forces and his subsequent detention, she examines the extent to which both Ecuador and Mexico violated legal obligations under public international law.