A United Nations panel has said that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been arbitrarily detained in the Ecuador embassy. An official announcement on this is expected later on Friday.
The development comes as a big boost to the long fight carried out by Assange and his supporters against the Swedish and British governments' efforts to arrest and extradite him to Sweden. Following the ruling, Wikileaks has demanded that the arrest warrant against Assange be dropped.
The Wikileaks founder has been living in the Ecuador Embassy in London since 2012. He is wanted for questioning in connection to an alleged sexual assault case.
Wikileaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson said, "If indeed this is the result that this important UN body finds that he has been unlawfully detained, we expect the UK (United Kingdom) government and the Swedish government to act accordingly, to drop the arrest warrant against him (Julian Assange)."
He also urged the UK authorities to "deliver his passport back and allow his freedom".
Cited the 16 months of independent probe by the UN, Assange's lawyer said, "Both countries UK and Sweden had ample opportunities to submit evidence, and all that evidence was considered. A positive conclusion is reached in Assange's case, clearing that he has been arbitrarily detained."
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