Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has been granted political asylum in Belgium, according to a statement released on Saturday by his lawyer.
The statement was released in response to an extradition request by the National Court of Ecuador on Friday.
Correa, who was president of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017, was tried in absentia for corruption two years ago and sentenced to eight years jail time.
The court found that Correa had known about bribes paid to politicians and civil servants by building companies and was indirectly responsible for a network of corruption.
Correa has denied the charges and claimed they are part of a politically motivated campaign against him by his successor.
Stability, progress
Correa has lived in Belgium for several years and has a Belgian wife.
Correa's time in office was a phase of political stability and social progress for Ecuador; under his government, the state subsidized oil and other natural resource companies, lifting many people out of poverty.
He is also generally believed to have improved the country's infrastructure.
