Julian Assange ‘soon’ to leave Ecuadorian embassy in London

London, Aug 18 :

Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblowing website, will “soon” be leaving the Ecuadorian embassy in London after two years’ erefuge there, a media report quoted him as saying Monday.

The 43-year-old, who has been staying in the Ecuadorian embassy in Britain since he was granted a diplomatic asylum in 2012, has been fighting extradition to Sweden over sex assault cases.

Addressing a press conference Monday, along with Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricarod Patino, Assange did not reveal further details on whether or not he would surrender to the British authorities, the Guardian reported.

Assange said he had received support from human rights groups in the US and Britain and cited Human Rights Watch calling on the US to stop its investigation of him.

Further, Wikileaks spokesman Kristin Hrafnsson, in a tweet, said: “Assange is ready to leave at any moment if Britain allows safe passage, but has no plans to hand himself in.”

Patino said Assange’s human rights have been breached and the last two years have seen no justice for anyone.

“The situation must come to an end. Two years is too long. It is time to free Assange. It is time for his human rights to be respected,” the report quoted the Equadorian minister as saying.

Assange, an Australian who founded WikiLeaks, created ripples worldwide by leaking out sensitive American diplomatic cables in 2010.

(IANS)