A file picture dated Feb. 2, 2012 of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arriving at the Supreme Court in London.(Photo: FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA, EPA)
LONDON<span style="color: Red;">*</span>— The<span style="color: Red;">*</span>United Nations ruled Friday that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"arbitrarily detained" by the United Kingdom and Sweden since he was arrested in 2010 and that he should be allowed to leave<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Ecuador's Embassy in London without facing arrest.
In a statement, the U.N.'s<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Working Group on Arbitrary Detention,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>called on both countries “to end Mr. Assange’s deprivation of liberty, respect his physical integrity and freedom of movement, and afford him the right to compensation.”
It said Assange's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>initial detention in a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>London prison, his subsequent<span style="color: Red;">*</span>house arrest and "confinement"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at the embassy were<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"disproportionate" reactions.
Assange has been holed up in Ecuador's Embassy in London since<span style="color: Red;">*</span>June 2012.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>If he steps outside, British police said he would immediately be<span style="color: Red;">*</span>arrested<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and face extradition to Sweden and the United States.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sweden is seeking his<span style="color: Red;">*</span>extradition because Assange is accused of being involved in a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>suspected rape case, an allegation<span style="color: Red;">*</span>he denies. He has not been formally charged.
Assange had faced three other sexual assault charges in the country, but they expired in August because of the statute of limitations.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The<span style="color: Red;">*</span>U.S. Justice Department said it is considering<span style="color: Red;">*</span>charging Assange<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with<span style="color: Red;">*</span>espionage related to WikiLeaks' publication of thousands of diplomatic letters.
The British and Swedish governments maintain the ruling from the U.N.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is not legally<span style="color: Red;">*</span>binding, but the U.N. says the organization's conclusions<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"are legally<span style="color: Red;">*</span>binding to the extent that they are based on binding international human rights law."
A statement from Sweden<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Swedish authorities have no control over his decision to stay there.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Mr. Assange is free to leave the Embassy at any point.”
The<span style="color: Red;">*</span>U.K. said it<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will formally contest the panel's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>decision.
"This changes nothing. We completely reject any claim that Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention," the British government<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said in a statement.
"An allegation of rape is still outstanding and a European Arrest Warrant in place, so the U.K. continues to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden," it said.
Assange said Thursday he would leave the embassy at noon Friday and allow British police<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to arrest him if the panel ruled<span style="color: Red;">*</span>against him.
USA TODAY
Assange says he'll accept arrest if U.N. rules against him
The announcement<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by the panel<span style="color: Red;">*</span>comes more than 14<span style="color: Red;">*</span>months after the Australian national<span style="color: Red;">*</span>filed a complaint<span style="color: Red;">*</span>about his detention.
Assange was initially detained at a London prison in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>2010. When his appeal against extradition to Sweden<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was dismissed by Britain’s Supreme Court in May 2012<span style="color: Red;">*</span>he sought refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy the following month.
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