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Assange May Leave Ecuadorian Embassy in UK Soon Due to Health Problems - Reports

© REUTERS / Peter NichollsWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain, May 19, 2017
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain, May 19, 2017 - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Founder of whistleblowing organization WikiLeaks Julian Assange might leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in the United Kingdom in the coming weeks due to problems with health, a news outlet reported on Wednesday.

Assange's health has deteriorated recently and he would leave the embassy, where he has lived since June 2012, for a hospital visit in the near future, after which the whistleblower's options for taking shelter will be limited, the Bloomberg news agency reported, citing two sources.

In late July, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said that he wanted to resolve Assange's issue without problems for his country, adding that consultations with the UK authorities and WikiLeaks representatives were being held with that aim. Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, in turn, stressed the need to handle the situation with Assange, noting that the whistleblower could not stay in the embassy forever.

In a separate development, Assange's legal team has denied the Bloomberg report saying that Ecuador is seeking criminal proceedings against the Wikileaks founder for hacking into the embassy's network.

READ MORE: Ecuador President Says Assange Must Eventually Leave London Embassy

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks from the balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London (File) - Sputnik International
Ecuador 'Under Huge Pressure' by US Government Over Assange - Lawyer
Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after being accused of sexual offenses by Swedish authorities. While the charges have since been dropped, he still fears extradition to the United States, where he is wanted for leaking Iraq War logs.

According to The Guardian, Ecuador spent nearly $5 million on a clandestine intelligence operation, called Operation Guest, to hire international security and undercover agents to follow Assange’s visitors. The operation was purportedly endorsed by ex-president Correa and former Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.

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