Assange detained arbitrarily, should be freed — United Nations panel

Mr Assange spoke via Skype to a press conference in London, saying the United Nations report had brought a smile to his face, and insisting his detention had now been formally ruled as unlawful.

Assange “has not been deprived of his liberty one second by Swedish authorities or in Sweden”, he said.

Assange said that if the UK and Sweden defied the UN panel’s ruling they could face UN sanctions.

Assange was originally arrested in London in 2010 following a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden who wanted to question him over alleged sex crimes.

“We’ve said it from the beginning, but now we’re not the only ones”.

The UN working group on Arbitrary Detention called on both countries to let Assange move around freely and ensure his safety. Three members of the panel supported the findings. “What’s the point of having a dispute-resolution mechanism, if they don’t want to comply with the outcome?”

Assange’s lawyers are pressing for his immediate release.

Under Sweden’s statute of limitations, its case against Assange does not expire until 2020.

The WikiLeaks founder says it is “now a matter of settled law” that he has been wrongly detained.

“But what right does the US, UK, Sweden have to deny my children their father for five-and-half-years without charge…”

“The UK and Sweden had their opportunities to lodge appeals in the last two weeks”. The decision in his favour marks the latest twist in a tumultuous journey for Assange since he incensed Washington with leaks that laid bare often highly critical US appraisals of world leaders from Vladimir Putin to the Saudi royal family.

In 2012, while on bail, he claimed asylum inside the Ecuadorean embassy in Knightsbridge after the UK Supreme Court had ruled the extradition against him could go ahead.

The comments came as he appeared on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Jennifer Robinson praised the panel’s finding that Assange has been a victim of arbitrary detention and should be freed.

As the wait for Assange dragged on, a critic also appeared outside the red-brick mansion block near Harrods department store, which neighbours the embassy offices.

Mr Assange should be entitled to “an enforceable right to compensation”. The Foreign Minister added that the decision of the jurists will not change the UK’s actions.

The Swedish foreign ministry said the government had received a copy of the panel’s conclusions.

“The Working Group established that this detention violates Articles 9 and 10 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and Articles 7, 9(1), 9(3), 9(4), 10 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.

Julian Assange’s detention is “arbitrary,” the United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention decided in a February 5 report.

“We are deeply frustrated that this unacceptable situation is still being allowed to continue”.

Ecuador demands that Britain allows Assange to fly to Quito.

United Kingdom authorities, however, rejected the UN panel’s ruling on Assange, saying that they are legally obligated to extradite him to Sweden.

Initially he was detained in Wandsworth prison, followed by house arrest and his confinement at the Ecuadorian Embassy.