Swedish authorities revealed on Thursday that a United Nations panel has determined that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's detention in the Ecuador Embassy is London is arbitrary, violating the most fundamental human right - the right to personal liberty. The announcement was made ahead of the release of the U.N. panel's official statement.
Julian Assange has been seeking refuge at the Ecuador Embassy for a good three and a half years starting in 2012. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the notorious activist has been holed up in the embassy out of fear that once he steps out he will be arrested, transported to Sweden and after which will be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges similarly with fellow WikiLeaks contributor Chelsea Manning.
There's also a possibility that the WikiLeaks founder may be avoiding questioning for a rape allegations in Sweden in 2010, although he was never formally charged. Assange has repeatedly denied such accusations.
As noted by the Wall Street Journal, Xabier Celaya, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the United Nations panel invoked the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights in arriving at its decision. The said convention was ratified by the U.N. General Assembly in 1996 and provides that "no-one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest or detention."
The United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia, of which Julian Assange is a citizen, are all signatories to the convention.
Reports also reveal that some of the key factors that led to the panel's decision is the fact that there were no formal charges against Assange to warrant an arrest and that the United Kingdom made amendments to its laws and procedures ever since the Assange took refuge at the Ecuador Embassy.
Although decision is not legally binding with respect to U.K. and Sweden, it will still hold a lot of weight.
However, Christian Cubitt, spokesperson for Downing Street, is adamant that they have a valid warrant of arrest against Julian Assange.
"We appreciate the U.N. panel would not be legally binding, but clearly there's a European arrest warrant in place," Cubitt said. "Should Mr. Assange leave the embassy, then we would put that into effect."
The United Nations panel will announce their final decision on Friday noon.
"Julian and his lawyers will be present to discuss the decision and what its ramifications are for WikiLeaks, Sweden and the U.K.," said Carey Shenkman, Assange's U.S. attorney.
Julian Assange, nonetheless, is resolved that he will abide by whatever decision that United Nations come up with.
"Should the UN announce tomorrow that I have lost my case against the United Kingdom and Sweden I shall exit the embassy at noon on Friday to accept arrest by British police as there is no meaningful prospect of further appeal," Assange said, according to BBC. "However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me."
Assange was first arrested in London in 2010 after Sweden issued a European Arrest Warrant against him for rape and sexual abuse allegations.
When he applied for bail in 2012, Assange sought asylum inside the Ecuador Embassy after the United Kingdom Supreme Court ruled that the extradition proceedings against him could proceed.
