Julian Assange Says He'll Soon Leave Ecuadorian Embassy in London

Edited by Juan Leandro
2014-08-18 14:28:40

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London, August 18 (RHC)-- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he will soon leave the Ecuadorian embassy in the British capital, where he has sought asylum for more than two years. Assange spoke to reporters during a joint news conference with Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino on Sunday.

The visit of Ecuador's foreign minister comes amid reports by British media, saying that the Australian campaigner is planning to leave the South American country’s diplomatic mission because he is suffering from potentially life-threatening diseases.

Meanwhile, the top Ecuadorian diplomat expressed Quito’s readiness to talk with the UK and Sweden to find a solution to what he describes as “a serious breach of Julian Assange's human rights.”

Speaking after the press conference, WikiLeaks' spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson also noted that Assange is ready to leave the embassy “as soon as the ridiculous siege outside will stop and he is offered safe passage.”

Britain’s biggest force, the Metropolitan (Met) police, have been stationed outside the embassy building in Knightsbridge, west London, over the past two years ready to arrest Assange if he steps out of the building. The Met police are reportedly spending nearly 9,000 pounds -- about 15,000 dollars -- a day on monitoring the mission.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012 and secured political asylum from Quito after he lost a legal battle against extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over the sexual abuse allegations.

It is believed that Assange’s extradition to Sweden is merely a cover for sending him to the United States, where he is wanted over the release of thousands of classified documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on his whistleblower website.



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