Wikileaks founder Assange launches legal action against Ecuador

QUITO - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange presented a protection action through his lawyers against the Ecuadorian government on Friday, accusing it of violating his fundamental rights and freedoms.

The anti-secrecy activist, who has claimed political asylum at Ecuador's embassy in London since 2012, believes the "special protocol," issued by the Ecuadorian government outlining new terms of stay, is unjust.

Assange's lawyers, the former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon and Ecuadorian Carlos Poveda, presented his case at a press conference in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito.

According to the lawyer, Ecuadorian authorities presented Assange with a "special protocol," detailing rules on visitors, access to communications and medical attention, on Oct. 13.

The protocol declared that Ecuador will not be responsible for Assange's statements or views and that any breach of the rules will bring about the "termination of asylum."

However, the document was not signed nor is it clear under which authority operates it.

The existence of the protocol was confirmed by Ecuador's Foreign Ministry on Oct. 17. The ministry also stated that its production was a "sovereign decision".

On Friday, Wikileaks took to Twitter to state its rejection of the conditions in which Assange has been forced to live and voiced its full support for legal action.

Assange entered the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Switzerland for questioning over an alleged sexual assault in 2010.

In December 2017, Ecuador granted Assange citizenship and requested that Britain give him diplomatic status, which was refused.