Assange has been granted asylum by Ecuador. He had been fighting extradition by the U.K., fearing that he would be turned over to American authorities and that his human rights would be violated. He has been staying at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June.
Mr Assange said being granted political asylum by Ecuador was a “significant victory” and thanked staff in the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
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“It was not Britain or my home country, Australia, that stood up to protect me from persecution, but a courageous, independent Latin American nation,” said Mr Assange, who watched the announcement with embassy staff in a live link to a press conference in Quito.
The U.K. Foreign Office believes it has the authority to arrest Assange:
[The Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987] allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange for breaching the terms of his bail.
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