A UN panel finds that Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention.
Julian Assange has renewed his plea to be “set free” after a United Nations panel confirmed its view that the WikiLeaks founder is a victim of arbitrary detention.
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rejected a request by the UK Government to review the case.
In February, the panel found that Britain and Sweden had “arbitrarily detained” Mr Assange, who has been living inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for over four years.
The panel said he should be freed and entitled to compensation. It said the UK Government had not presented enough new information to merit a new examination.
Mr Assange said: “Now that all appeals are exhausted I expect that the UK and Sweden will comply with their international obligations and set me free. It an obvious and grotesque injustice to detain someone for six years who hasn’t even been charged with an offence.”
A statement on behalf of WikiLeaks said the original decision now stands and the UK and Sweden are once again required to “immediately put an end to Mr Assange’s arbitrary detention and afford him monetary compensation”.
It continued: “Earlier this year the United Nations concluded the 16 month long case to which the UK was a party.
“The UK lost, appealed, and today – lost again. The UN instructed the UK and Sweden to take immediate steps to ensure Mr Assange’s liberty, protection, and enjoyment of fundamental human rights.
Via BT News