Julian Assange: Ecuador may be close to ejecting him from its …

In this May 19, 2017 file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters from a balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.(Photo: Frank Augstein, AP)

Ecuador appears to be finalizing plans to withdrawits asylum protection for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as early as next week, ejecthim from its London embassy and turnhim over to British authorities, according to media reports.

Assange, 47,has been holed up in the embassy since 2012, after taking refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Although Sweden has since dropped itsinvestigation into the rape accusation, Assange has chosen not to leave the embassy out of concern that the U.S. would immediately seek his arrest and extradition overthe leaking of classified documents to WikiLeaksby Chelsea Manning.

WikiLeaks is also the focus of the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections by distributing hacked materials.

Ecuador has grown increasingly unhappy with the asylum arrangement in recent months. In March, Ecuadorbarred Assange from using the Internet from the embassy for violating an agreement he signed at the end of 2017 not to use his communiques to interfere in the affairs of other states.

Ecuador has toughened its stance following the election in May of President Lenin Moreno, who has described Assange as a hacker, an inherited problem and a stone in the shoe.

Assange, an Australian computer programmer, particularly drew the ire of Ecuador by angering the Spanish government with his support for separatist leaders in Spain's Catalonia region who sought to secede last year.

The Times of London reported last week that British ministers and senior Foreign Officeofficials were "locked in discussions over the fate of Assange."

In addition, RT, the Russian news outlet,quotedunidentified sources as sayingEcuador is ready to hand over Assange to the British authorities "in coming weeks or even days."

Glen Greenwald, editor of the The Intercept, reported Saturday that heexpects Moreno to finalize an agreement with British authorities during his trip to London on Friday ostensibly for a world disabilities summit. Greenwald said Moreno also notably plansto travel to Madrid during his trip.

Greenwaldquotedan unidentified source close to the Ecuadoran Foreign Ministry and the president's officeas confirming that Moreno is close to adealas early as this week.

Greenwald, former reporter for The Guardian,is a journalist and author who writes extensively about national security issues. He published a series of articles aboutU.S. and British global surveillance programsbased in part on classified documents disclosed by Edward Snowden, a one-time U.S. contractor for the National Security Agency, who fled the country and found refuge in Russia.

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Julian Assange: Ecuador may be close to ejecting him from its ...