A little-known United Nations
human rights panel has sided with WikiLeaks founder Julian
Assange in his long-running battle with Swedish and British
authorities, saying he should be allowed to walk free from his
embassy hideaway and compensated for the years he has lost, the
Associated Press reported.
The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which falls
under the offices of the U.N. human rights chief, said Assange
has been "arbitrarily detained" by Britain and Sweden since
December 2010, when he was first sought for questioning on
allegations of sexual misconduct.
The panel's recommendation was immediately rejected by
Swedish and British officials who said Assange's legal situation
is unchanged. He remains in the Embassy of Ecuador in London,
where he has been holed up for more than three and a half years.
No charges have been filed against Assange in Sweden, but
Swedish prosecutors want to question him over allegations of
rape stemming from a working visit he made to the country in
2010 when WikiLeaks was attracting international attention for
its secret-spilling. He is also sought by Britain for jumping
bail.
Assange has consistently denied the allegations but has
refused to return to Sweden to meet with prosecutors and
eventually took the decision to seek refuge in the Ecuadorean
embassy in London, where he has lived since June 2012.
Addressing supporters from the embassy balcony, Assange
called the finding "a historic victory."
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