Published 11:27 IST, October 30th 2018
Ecuador is seeking to end my asylum: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Read here
As per global newswire Reuters, Assange made the statement from Ecuador's London Embassy via teleconference as part of a trial in Quito.
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Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Monday said that Ecuador is seeking to end his asylum in its London embassy and hand him over to the United States. As per global newswire Reuters, Assange made the statement from Ecuador's London Embassy via teleconference as part of a trial in Quito initiated by his legal team that challenges recently created rules governing the terms of his asylum.
Last week, a senior Ecuadorian official informed media that UK officials had said that they had not received any request to extradite Assange and that the whistleblower's charges for violating the terms of his bail would not exceed six months in a UK prison. Assange's lawyer said that such a commitment by the UK government would need to be made in writing.
Assange, who has been living in Ecuador's London Embassy since 2012, filed a lawsuit against Ecuador's government over the conditions of his asylum, which he said had violated his "fundamental rights and freedoms."
Assange was given asylum by former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa after London approved his extradition to Sweden, where he was accused of sexual offences. Swedish authorities dropped the charges in 2017, but Assange remained in the Embassy, fearing extradition to the US, where he is wanted for leaking classified military and diplomatic papers.
Last week, US lawmakers urged current Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno to turn Assange over to Washington, calling him a "dangerous criminal and a threat to global security" who "should be brought to justice."
23:34 IST, October 29th 2018