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The former president has accused Ecuadoran judicial authorities of "political persecution." Interpol had rejected an Ecuador-issued arrest warrant in July, saying it was "obviously a political matter."
Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa requested asylum in Belgium in an apparent bid to avoid extradition, according to judicial sources on Thursday.
The request comes a day after an Ecuadorian judge opened a criminal trial against Correa for his suspected involvement in a botched kidnapping of an opposition lawmaker in 2012.
What we know so far:
Read more: Ecuador requests Interpol detention of ex-president Rafael Correa in Belgium
Correa continues to enjoy widespread support in Ecuador. Under his presidency, he invested state oil funds into education and infrastructure, and accepted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's request for asylum
What is the case about?
Correa, along with former Ecuadoran intelligence head Pablo Romero and two police officers, stands accused of orchestrating the botched kidnapping of an opposition lawmaker.
The former lawmaker Fernando Baldo, a Correa ally who turned critic, was kidnapped in Bogota in 2012. But shortly afterward, Colombian police released him, saying Ecuador's intelligence agency Senain was behind it. The agency reports directly to the presidency.
The Ecuadoran judiciary claims it has sufficient evidence to prosecute and obtain convictions of the defendants. The two police officers were put into a witness protection program after they declared Correa had ordered the kidnapping.
Read more: Ecuador: The end of the 'Citizens' Revolution'?
What happens next?
The trial was suspended shortly after it opened. According to Ecuadoran law, Correa cannot be tried in absentia.
The case is likely to remain suspended indefinitely until the former president returns to his home country or the trial is closed by judges.
ls/aw (dpa, AFP)