Belgium rejects extradition of Ecuadorian ex-president Correa, according to lawyers

The Belgian court has rejected a request from the Ecuadorian justice system to extradite former President Rafael Correa. This was announced by his defence on Friday. Correa was sentenced to eight years in prison in his country for corruption, but he currently resides in Brussels.

"The Belgian Ministry of Justice now confirms (...) that it will not respond to Ecuador's extradition request", and "that Belgium will also refuse to cooperate with the Ecuadorian judiciary in the context of political trials", reads a statement from the law firm Jus Cogens. There is no reference to an official Belgian announcement.

Correa is married to a Belgian and has been living in Brussels for years. Our country granted him refugee status on 15 April. Political asylum already seemed to be a major obstacle to the Ecuadorian authorities' attempts to have the ex-president extradited, but according to the man's lawyers, the Belgian court has now dismissed any possibility of extradition.

Rafael Correa was president of the South American country for ten years. Two years ago he was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for corruption. He was allegedly aware of bribes paid by construction companies to politicians and civil servants and was even indirectly responsible for the corruption network. Correa denied the accusations and points to his successors, who he says are waging a political campaign against him.

(TOM)

Rafael Correa during his time as Ecuadorian president. - © BELGA PHOTO POOL LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ