WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made a public appearance on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, calling on the U.S. to end its “war on whistleblowers.”
“On Wednesday night after a threat was made on this embassy and police descended on this embassy, you came out to watch over it,” he said in a speech that was aimed at his crowds of supporters waiting
outside.
“I am here today because I cannot be there with you today,” he said, according to The Guardian. “But thank you for your resolve, for your generosity of spirit.”
Assange has been holed up in the embassy since June 19 after the U.K. High Court ruled that he must be extradited to Sweden to face questioning for alleged sex crimes.
Last Thursday, the Ecuadorian government granted Assange asylum in the Central American country, but the U.K. refused to budge on the matter, saying that he would still be detained and sent to Sweden if he leaves the embassy.
“I thank President Correa for the courage he has shown in considering and in granting me political asylum,” he said, reported Sky News.
Assange has alleged that Washington is pushing for his extradition to the U.S. because his website leaked hundreds of thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables.
“There must be no more foolish talk about prosecuting any media organization, be it Wikileaks or the New York Times,” Assange said, adding that the “war on whistleblowers must end,” according to The Guardian.
