Assange going nowhere until assurances are given

Julian Assange is keen to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy but will not do so without assurances that he won't be extradited to Sweden or the USA to face charges against him. Image: Feminist Frequency

Assange, who has been holed up in the building for two years, indicated he would leave the embassy compound "soon" amid reports that he was suffering from a heart condition and other ailments.

His lawyer Jennifer Robinson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that being cooped up had significantly impacted the 43-year-old's health but said it was difficult to put a timeline on when he would leave.

"(He will leave) as soon as conditions can be negotiated that allow Assange to leave the embassy while his political asylum, to protect him from the risk of extradition to the US, is respected," she said. "And we haven't seen that happen yet."

Assange sought asylum at the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces allegations of rape and sexual molestation, which he strongly denies.

He fears extradition to Sweden could lead to him being transferred to the United States to face trial over WikiLeaks' publication of classified US military and diplomatic documents.

The Embassy of Ecuador in London where Julian Assange has been confined for the past two years to avoid extradition. Image: Wikipedia

Robinson said there remained "a complicated number of legal cases in Sweden, and in the US, which is reason for his asylum".

"We'd all like to see him out of there as soon as possible. He's been in there more than two years and the circumstances and the conditions inside the embassy aren't great," she said.

She said it was not immediately clear when his legal team would be able to negotiate conditions that would make it possible for him to leave the embassy compound.

"We have been asking that there be assurances given that he will not be extradited to the US. That is and has always been his main concern and indeed is the reason for the granting of asylum that's seen him remain inside the Ecuadorian embassy.

Britain's Foreign Office indicated the ministry's position on Assange's case was unchanged and that it remained "as committed as ever to reaching a diplomatic solution".

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge