Is Julian Assange, the rogue journalist and founder of anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks, heading to prison?
Assange has been claiming asylum inside Ecuador’s London embassay for the past six years, surrounded by hostile agents that are seeking to arrest the journalist on a variety of charges. The United Kingdom and United States intelligence communities have long sought to place Assange in handcuffs for his role in decades of secretive document leaks.
It appears the Ecuadorean embassy is about to give him up to curry favor.
In the past, Assange has claimed his refuge in the embassy was under threat. This time, rumors say his situation is “unusually bad” and that he could be forced out “any day now” by authorities.
Earlier this month, Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno ordered the withdrawal of extra security assigned to the country’s embassy where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has resided since 2012.
WikiLeaks seems to believe this is part of a plan to deliver Assange into handcuffs —
RELEASE: Infra-red footage of covert @JulianAssange "grab team" stake out operation reading mission briefing notes
Full file: https://t.co/v39ljjlwzp#grabteam1 pic.twitter.com/Kz8XOOCdNp
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 23, 2018
Heavily armed UK police step up their harassment of WikiLeaks editor @JulianAssange in recent days. Photos obtained exclusively by @WikiLeaks. Map location: https://t.co/x2is1Mn7Jk pic.twitter.com/8icG3bsA8Y
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 25, 2018
In March, Ecuador’s government cut off Assange’s internet connection following his activity on social media decrying the arrest of a Catalan separatist politician.
Ecuador granted Assange asylum in its London embassy in 2012 where he has remained cooped up ever since. Ecuador has tried to find a solution that would allow Assange to leave without the threat of arrest, but with no success.
The Associated Press contributed to this article