Ecuador sues Mexico in international court claiming it violated diplomatic law in Glas asylum

By Alexandra Valencia

Ecuador’s foreign ministry said on Monday it has sued Mexico at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, asking it to find that Mexico’s decision to grant asylum to former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas violated international law.

Former vice president Jorge Glas

Glas, twice convicted of corruption and now facing fresh charges, was arrested this month during an armed raid by Ecuadorian police on Mexico’s embassy in Quito, where he had been living since December. The raid drew international criticism.

Mexico already sued Ecuador at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, over the incident.

Ecuador’s representatives at the court presented the lawsuit, the foreign ministry said in a statement, “for a series of violations by Mexico of a series of international obligations, for the conduct of the country since December 17, 2023.” That was the date Glas took up residence at Mexico’s embassy.

Ecuador’s suit asked the court to find that Mexico broke international law by interfering in local Ecuadorian affairs and wrongly granting Glas political asylum. Ecuador has said Mexico cannot give Glas asylum because he is facing pending criminal charges.

Ecuador added that Mexico had allowed its embassy to be used to protect Glas from facing Ecuador’s criminal laws in various legal cases and investigations.

Mexico, in its own suit filed this month, accused Ecuador of violating international law and a United Nations treaty on diplomatic relations by carrying out the raid on its embassy.

The ICJ, which confirmed Ecuador’s filing in its own statement, is holding emergency measures hearings on Tuesday on the matter and Ecuador is expected to defend its actions at a hearing on Wednesday.

Cases before the ICJ typically take years before being heard on the merits. While states wait for case go before the judges, they can ask for emergency measures that can serve as restraining orders in order to keep disputes from worsening.
While rulings and orders of the court are legally binding, the ICJ has no means to enforce them.

Ecuador’s suit also mentions “insulting” statements by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the ministry added. Ecuador complained before the embassy raid about comments from Lopez Obrador about election violence.

An Ecuadorean tribunal has ruled that though the arrest of Glas was illegal, he must remain in jail due to his previous convictions. His legal team has said it will appeal.

Glas is facing charges of misusing funds collected to aid reconstruction of coastal Manabi province after a devastating 2016 earthquake as well as a charge of sexual harassment filed by a former assistant.
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Credit: Reuters