Ecuador wants Julian Assange out of London embassy

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

January 10, 2018 at 15:05

ECUADOR wants Julian Assange to leave its embassy in London and is seeking a “third country or a personality” to mediate a final settlement with Britain.

ECUADOR wants Julian Assange out of its embassy in London and is seeking a “third country or a personality” to mediate a final settlement with Britain.

The Australian Wikileaks founder has been holed up in the embassy since 2012 after he was granted asylum.

Assange entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault charges that he vehemently denies.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange raises his fist prior to addressing the media on the balcony of the Embassy of Ecuador in London on May 19, 2017.Source:AFP

Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said the South American country was “considering and exploring the possibility of mediation” to end the “untenable” five-year impasse.

A statement by Assange’s legal team said he was being held unlawfully.

“The UN ruling, issued almost two years ago, is crystal clear in its language, Mr Assange is unlawfully and arbitrarily detained by the UK authorities and must be released.

“The UK should not permit itself to be intimidated by the Trump administration’s public threats to “take down” Mr Assange.”