Julian Assange Addresses Crowd Outside Ecuadorian Embassy in London

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Julian Assange Addresses Crowd Outside Ecuadorian Embassy in London

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5 February 2016

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Julian Assange has hailed the decision of the UN Human Rights Panel on his case from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

"How sweet it is! This is a victory that cannot be denied. It is a victory of historical importance," the whistleblower told the crowd outside the embassy.

A supporter of WikiLeaks founder julian Assange holds a copy of The WikiLeaks Files outside the Ecuadorian embassy in central London, Britain February 5, 2016

Assange's Father Criticizes UK Legal System for Lacking Fair Treatment

Earlier in the day, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) ruled in a majority decision that Assange is being detained inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London arbitrarily. Britain vowed to dispute the UN-mandated panel's ruling.

Assange took refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 after a British court authorized his extradition to Sweden on rape and sexual assault charges. Assault claims were later dropped.

"I'm tough, I'm hardened by this process and I can take it. However, what right does this government or the US government or the Swedish government have to deny my children their right to their father for five years?" Assange said.

The whistleblower fears that Sweden may hand him over to the United States to be prosecuted for espionage after his website leaked classified US data.

A UK government spokesperson said Friday that Assange was voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest on the outstanding allegation of rape so the United Kingdom would continue to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden.