London, February 5 (RHC)-- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has urged British and Swedish authorities to allow him to walk free in response to the decision by a United Nations panel that he has been "arbitrarily detained."

Speaking via video-conferencing on Friday, Assange said his “detention without charge was unlawful,” adding that the legal arguments given by Sweden and Britain against him were “flawed.”

Speaking to reporters from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Assange said he feels the decision has vindicated him and should compel both London and Stockholm to change their positions and let him go free. Failing to do so, Assange said, would undermine the UN system.

Julian Assange has been holed up in Quito's embassy in London for 3½ years, saying he's afraid that if he leaves, he'll end up facing the death penalty in the United States for allegedly revealing government secrets through Wikileaks.

On Friday, he called the finding by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention "legally binding," although the UK and Swedish governments don't think so.

Melinda Taylor, one of Assange's attorneys, said the ruling was "a damning indictment of the manner in which this case has been handled (and) affirms that Mr. Assange is a victim of a significant miscarriage of justice." Taylor said: "Now finally with today's decision, there's light at the end of the tunnel.