Julian Assange to be 'expelled' from Ecuadorian Embassy

LONDON

Julian Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks, is set to be expelled from Ecuador’s Embassy in London, his home for nearly six years, the muckraking group said today.

“A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within ‘hours to days’ using the INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext -- and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest,” said WikiLeaks on Twitter, referring to documents allegedly implicating corruption by Ecuador’s president.

Assange will face arrest if he steps out, as a Metropolitan Police arrest warrant is still in force after Assange absconded after his release on bail in 2010.

Assange has been holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy located in Knightsbridge, central London, for nearly six years after claiming diplomatic asylum in June 2012 after being wanted by Swedish prosecutors for questioning over various alleged sexual offenses.

Sweden since dropped the charges against him, but Assange remains in the embassy fearing extradition to the US on charges over WikiLeaks’ release of sensitive US government files.

He was supposed to be extradited to Stockholm by British authorities before entering the embassy.