UK seeks review of UN Julian Assange ‘arbitrary detention …

The international panel said it believed Assanges confinement was arbitrary because of the length of time in bringing his case to resolution. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

The British government has formally asked a United Nations panel to review its finding that Julian Assange is arbitrarily detained in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, calling the opinion deeply flawed.

In its first formal response to the finding of the UN working group on arbitrary detention, which published its opinion in February, the Foreign Office confirmed it would contest the finding, saying: The original conclusions of the UN working group are inaccurate and should be reviewed.

In a statement, the Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said: We want to ensure the working group is in possession of the full facts. Our request for a review of the opinion sets those facts out clearly.

Related: Britain 'sets dangerous precedent' by defying UN report on Assange

Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK, and is in fact voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorian embassy. The UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden.

The WikiLeaks founder has been confined to the embassy in London since July 2012, when he sought asylum in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations, which he denies.

The international panel said on 4 February that it believed Assanges confinement was arbitrary because of the length of time in bringing his case to resolution, citing in particular a lack of diligence by the Swedish prosecutor in its investigations.

The government argues that the panel is not a judicial body and its findings are therefore not binding. The working groups opinion is deeply flawed and Mr Assange has never been the subject of arbitrary detention, it said. His human rights have been protected throughout the process and will continue to be protected if and when he is extradited to Sweden.

Speaking shortly after the working groups findings were published, Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, described them as ridiculous and said Assange was hiding from justice.

Assange accused Hammond of insulting the UN, saying: This is the end of the road for the legal arguments that have been put forward by Sweden and the UK.

Responding to the government statement, Melinda Taylor, a legal adviser to Assange, told the Guardian: The fact that they have submitted this request for reconsideration undermines their previous assertion that they werent in any way bound to comply with its opinion.

She said that all the points made by the Foreign Office had been known to the working group before it gave its original opinion, and the UK had every opportunity to make its case and correct any factual errors before the opinion was published.

In the absence of any objective basis to seek reconsideration, this rebuttal appears to be an attempt to publicly undermine the working groups opinion, she said.

The panels decision on whether or not to review its opinion will be made during its next session, beginning 18 April, the Foreign Office said.

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UK seeks review of UN Julian Assange 'arbitrary detention ...