WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled in a non-binding majority opinion on Friday that Assange is arbitrarily detained inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has sought refuge since mid-2012.
“Assange’s presence in the Ecuadorian Embassy is a matter between the UK, Sweden, and Ecuador,” the official said on Friday, adding that Washington is aware of the UN conclusion.
The WikiLeaks founder has been residing at the Ecuadorian embassy out of fear of being extradited, first to Sweden where he has been accused of sexual assault, and ultimately to the United States where he could face espionage charges for publishing secret documents through his website.
Sweden and the United Kingdom dispute the UN working group’s ruling, with the UK government claiming Assange is "voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest" and is not arbitrarily detained.
