NEW: AN ex-diplomat says Assange has put both Britain and Ecuador in a tricky situation The WikiLeaks founder has fought extradition and seeks asylum in Ecuador London police say Assange violated the conditions of his bail Police say he will be arrested if he leaves the Ecuadorian Embassy London (CNN) -- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa says he is carefully considering Julian Assange's petition for asylum and suggested that charges against the WikiLeaks' founder could be political persecution. He was arrested in Britain in 2010 because Swedish authorities wanted to question him about allegations of rape and sexual molestation. On Thursday, Metropolitan Police said he violated the conditions of his bail and would be arrested if he leaves the embassy. Some of Assange's supporters believe that if he is sent to Sweden he would be vulnerable to extradition to the United States, where they fear he could potentially face the death penalty. "Ecuador is a country that rejects the death penalty and we can't risk that a person who petitions us for asylum be subjected to the death penalty for political reasons," Correa said, reflecting that concern. Paul Whiteway, a former British Foreign Office diplomat who now heads the London office of Independent Diplomat, a non-profit advisory group on diplomacy, said Assange is in a very difficult situation. "There will be negotiations between the Ecuadorian authorities and the British government, the Foreign Office, to find a way of resolving this standoff," Whiteway said. But despite the discussions behind closed doors, he said, a diplomatic resolution will not necessarily come quickly. It's clearly an unwelcome situation for (the British), and really quite unlooked for. But I don't think it's particularly welcome for the government of Ecuador either. Correa's language has so far been very careful, Whiteway said, and it's clear that both Ecuador and Britain recognize the sensitivity of the issue. "Ecuador also has to take into account the attitude of the government of Sweden, because the Swedes will clearly also be quite concerned about what has happened," he said. CNN's Kevin Gallagher and Nima Elbagir contributed to this report.