Ecuador defends storming of Mexican Embassy in case brought to top UN court

Ecuador on Wednesday defended its storming of the Mexican Embassy in Quito last month, telling judges at the United Nations' top court that it acted to take in "a common criminal" — Ecuador's former vice president — who was holed up inside the diplomatic post.

The statement by lawyers for Ecuador was part of hearings in a case filed by Mexico at the International Court of Justice that accuses Quito of blatantly violating international treaties by storming the embassy to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas.