WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday that his departure from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London is imminent.
“I can confirm that I am leaving the embassy soon,” Assange said at a joint press conference with Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.
Assange was granted asylum by Ecuador in 2012, eluding Swedish prosecutors who want to question him about sexual assault allegations. He has repeatedly denied the allegations, and no charges have been brought against him by Swedish authorities.
Fearing extradition to the United States, where government officials continue to investigate WikiLeaks’ disclosures, Assange has been ensconced in the embassy for the last two years. He spoke about the grim living conditions on Monday — “no outside areas, no sunlight” — though he said his departure is “perhaps not for the reasons that the [Rupert] Murdoch press and Sky News are saying at the moment.”
Murdoch’s Sky News has reported that Assange is suffering from poor health and will leave the embassy in order to receive medical treatment.
