Julian Assange can’t leave London embassy to get an MRI

Julian Assange photographed inside the embassy on Jun. 14, 2013.

Image: Pool/Associated Press

By Blathnaid HealyUK2015-10-15 12:11:06 UTC

LONDON Wikileaks founder Julian Assange needs an MRI for pain in his shoulder, but if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he's been taking refuge since 2012, he'll be arrested.

The Ecuadorian government made an appeal for Assange to be given safe passage out of the embassy for a shoulder scan, but Britain's Foreign Office said the European arrest warrant is still valid, according to multiple reports. Assange faces extradition to Sweden for questioning about alleged sex crimes, which he denies.

We did ask the British government for a safe passage for humanitarian reasons in coordination with Ecuador, so that Julian Assange can get an MRI, Ricardo Patio, Ecuador's foreign minister said at a briefing, according to The Guardian.

The reply we have had from Britain is that he can leave whenever he likes for any medical care he might need, but the European arrest warrant for Assange is still valid. In other words, he can leave and we will put him in jail."

The foreign minister, reading out a letter from Assange's doctor, said the Australian has been in constant pain since June 2015, and the machine can't be brought to the embassy because of its size.

"There is no history of acute injury to the area. I examined him and all movements of his shoulder (abduction, internal rotation and external rotation) are limited due to pain," he said, according to ITV News.

"I am unable to elicit the exact cause of his symptoms without the benefit of further diagnostic tests, [including] MRI."

Earlier this week, police in London removed their around-the-clock guarding of the Ecuadorian Embassy, which had been in place for the duration of his stay.

The force says it will still do its best to arrest Assange.

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Julian Assange can't leave London embassy to get an MRI