You're reading: UK police demand Assange leave Ecuador embassy

LONDON - British police summoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to a London police station on June 28 as part of his extradition process, demanding he leave Ecuador's embassy where he has been holed up seeking political asylum.

Assange, 40, is wanted for questioning in Sweden over sex
crime allegations and took refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy in
a surprise move last week.

He now risks being arrested the moment he steps outside the
red-brick building after breaching bail terms, keeping both his
supporters and police puzzled as to what he might do next.

On June 28, police said it had formally “served a surrender
notice upon a 40-year-old man that requires him to attend a
police station at date and time of our choosing”.

It added: “He remains in breach of his bail conditions,
failing to surrender would be a further breach of conditions and
he is liable to arrest.”

The statement, in line with UK police policy, did not name
him but local media quoted sources identifying him as Assange.

The BBC reported the extradition unit delivered a note to
both Assange and the Ecuador embassy. The embassy declined to
comment. Other media reported that he was due to present himself
to a police station on Friday.

Assange enraged Washington in 2010 when his WikiLeaks
website published secret U.S. diplomatic cables.

He denies any wrongdoing in Sweden and says he fears that if
extradited there he could be sent on to the United States, where
he could face criminal charges punishable by death.

Assange, known for his unpredictable behaviour, caused a
media storm in Britain with his asylum bid. Ecuador’s ambassador
has in the meantime flown home to discuss whether to grant him
asylum but the decision has yet to be made.

By diplomatic convention, police cannot enter the embassy
without authorisation from Ecuador. But even if Quito granted
him asylum, he has no way of travelling to Ecuador without
passing through London and exposing himself to arrest.