MOSCOW, August 19 (RIA Novosti) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not leave the Ecuador Embassy in London until he is given guarantees that he will not be extradited to the United States, Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday.
"[He will leave] as soon as conditions can be negotiated that allow Julian to leave the embassy, while his political asylum, to protect him from the risk of extradition to the US, [is] respected. And we haven't seen that happen yet,” Robinson said, noting that the stay in the embassy has had a “significant” impact on Assange’s health.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Assange said he would leave the Ecuador Embassy “soon” but did not give any further details. Asked about his health, the WikiLeaks founder said anyone would be affected by spending two years in a building with no outdoor areas or direct sunlight.
43-year-old Assange has reportedly developed heart and lung problems after being confined to the embassy for more than two years. Robinson said Assange is not allowed to go to the hospital to seek treatment.
"If he is required to leave the embassy for hospital treatment he would be arrested," she said, adding that it is “a very serious situation and is the reason that this case has been taken up at the UN by more than 60 human rights groups around the world because of the impact on Julian's health and human rights."
Assange has been staying at the Ecuador Embassy in London since June 2012. The embassy sheltered the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblower site after a British court ordered his extradition to Sweden, where he is charged with sexual assault. British police officers are stationed outside the embassy compound round-the-clock, ready to detain him.
Assange denies the sexual assault allegations made by two female former WikiLeaks volunteers and has been fighting a legal battle against extradition since his arrest in Britain.
