Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gave mixed signals about his immediate future Monday, first indicating hes about to end his fugitive status, before an aide clarified that such a move is not imminent.

Assange, 43, caused confusion by saying he is planning to soon leave the Ecuadoran Embassy in which hes been holed up in London. He then had his spokesman make clear that hell do that only when the limbo over his extradition is resolved.

Stepping off the embassy grounds would mean near-certain arrest for the eccentric Australian, who is wanted in Sweden in sex crimes allegations.

Assange has been holed up in the diplomatic office for more than two years, but says the fugitive life has been taking a toll.

The embassy has no outside areas, no sunlight, Assange told reporters in the briefing broadcast live on the Internet. Its an environment in which any healthy person would find themselves soon enough with certain difficulties they would have to manage.

Sources told the Mail on Sunday newspaper hes suffering from an irregular heartbeat, a chronic lung condition and high blood pressure, as well as a Vitamin D deficiency from the lack of sunlight.

At his Monday news conference, Assange denied that he was planning on leaving because of his health, but said, I am leaving the embassy soon.

As confused journalists sought clarification after the presser, WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said his boss merely meant that hes ready to bolt once hes allowed to travel to Ecuador, which has granted him asylum. The plan is to leave as soon as the U.K. government decides to honor its obligations, Hrafnsson said.

That has essentially been the master leakers position all along, and his status appears unchanged with Ecuador Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, who said Monday negotiations with Britain remain deadlocked.

Assange sought refuge at the South American country in June 2012, after exhausting options in British courts to avoid extradition to face questioning on allegations of rape and molestation during a 2010 visit to Sweden.

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Julian Assange backtracks on plan to leave Ecuadorean ...

However, Mr Assange and his legal advisers appeared to have made an embarrassing error by misunderstanding a basic aspect of the new legislation.

The Home Office quickly undermined his key claim by confirming the changes would not apply in the case of Mr Assange, who has been a wanted man in Sweden since 2010, because they are not retrospective.

Mr Assange, 43, is alleged to have raped a woman known as SW, then aged 26, and committed other sexual offences against AA, a 31-year-old woman.

The Australian claims that if he is extradited to Sweden, he will be sent on to the United States for questioning over WikiLeaks whistle-blowing, which has been accused of publishing material which damages national security.

Mr Assange, looking pale and haggard, told journalists: "I can confirm I will be leaving the embassy soon."

However, he said his intended departure was perhaps not driven by reports of his ill-health.

There was further confusion when a WikiLeaks spokesman at the press conference quickly disputed that Mr Assange would be leaving the embassy imminently.

Kristinn Hrafnsson said: "The plan, as always, is to leave as soon as the UK Government decides to honour its obligations in relation to international agreements."

Police officers have been stationed outside the embassy round-the-clock since Mr Assange decided to enter the building voluntarily in June 2012.

He faces arrest the moment he steps outside the building in Knightsbridge, behind Harrods department store.

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave Ecuador embassy ...

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cites health reasons for his decision to "soon" leave the Ecuadoran embassy in London where he's spent the last two years. (Reuters)

LONDON WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would soon be leaving the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, where he took refuge more than two years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning for alleged sexual assaults.

But in a lengthy statement to reporters at the embassy, Assange did not give any indication of the exact timing or circumstances of his exit. And a WikiLeaks spokesman, Kristinn Hrafnsson, later clarified that Assanges comments had been a declaration of hope rather than a declaration that he would be walking out of the embassy.

Hrafnsson said Assange would leave when British authorities grant him safe passage to the airport and to Ecuador, something the government here has repeatedly said it is unwilling to do.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman, speaking under the customary terms of anonymity, reiterated that stance Monday, saying, We are clear that our laws must be followed and that Mr. Assange should be extradited to Sweden.

By speaking to the media Monday, Assange may have been hoping to gain leverage in negotiations that have been locked in a stalemate for two years. Assange cited recent changes to British law that could protect him from extradition because charges in Sweden have not yet been filed. But a Home Office spokeswoman said that the legal changes were not retroactive and that Assange had exhausted all appeal avenues.

British press reports have suggested in recent days that Assange is in poor health and needs urgent medical treatment for heart and lung conditions. Assange, who appeared subdued and halting in his statement alongside the Ecuadoran foreign minister, acknowledged that two years in the embassy, without access to outdoor spaces or exposure to sunlight, had caused certain difficulties.

Since June 2012, Assange has been holed up in a small embassy apartment, vowing to defy what he describes as an international effort to persecute him for his role in releasing a vast trove of classified U.S. government documents. Although Assange has been granted asylum by Ecuador, British police guard the embassy round the clock and say he will be arrested if he leaves the embassy grounds.

Assange has long been sought in Sweden for questioning based on two womens allegations of sexual assault. The 43-year-old Australian said Monday he believes that Sweden intends to send him on to the United States, where the Justice Department has been investigating his role in leaking the government documents, many of which relate to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Pfc. Bradley Manning, a former army intelligence analyst, was sentenced by a U.S. military judge to 35 years in prison last year for providing the documents to WikiLeaks. The day after sentencing, Manning adopted the name Chelsea Manning and announced that he wanted to be identified as a woman.

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WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Says he will Leave ...

Summary: Some commentators have questioned if anything has changed, diplomatically and legally, in WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange's case. Here's what could happen next.

Locked inside a small apartment in central London, the only reason Julian Assange has avoided arrest is that his dimly lit ground-floor bedroom also happens to be de facto Ecuadorian soil.

Marking almost exactly two years after the WikiLeaks founder gave a similar soundbite-laden speech on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in Britain's capital, he yesterday opted for a more modest affair, only to offer a similar string of pointless remarks, which were all but retracted after the fact.

In case you missed it, Assange said he would leave the embassy "soon," after being holed up in the small embassy for more than two years.

Following the appearance on Monday morning, however, his spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said although Assange was ready to leave the embassy, it would only be when he is offered passage free from the threat of arrest.

Assange's message was anything but clear leaving more questions than answers. One being whether the political and legal situation has shifted since he first entered the embassy.

It hasn't. Very little has changed in the diplomatic standoff between Ecuador and the UK.

Assange, who founded the whistleblowing site WikiLeaks, rose to prominence in 2010 after the leak of classified US military documentson the Afghan and Iraq wars.He remains concerned that should he step outside of the protection of Ecuador's London embassy, he will first be extradited to Sweden where he faces accusations of sexual assault dating back to 2010 but then will be forced to travel to the US. An onwards extradition, he claims, could see him tried in a US court for espionage crimes for his involvement in the classified cache release.

The Australian-born hacker turned media figure and document leaker was arrested in Britain, but received bail as he awaited court decisions in efforts to rollback the extradition process.

Once the Supreme Court, the highest court in the UK, ruled against him, he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy to seek political asylum.

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WikiLeaks' Assange sets sights on leaving embassy: Now ...

LONDON Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who was given asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy here two years ago, said Monday he will be leaving the embassy soon but provided no specifics.

In a long and wandering news conference at which he was accompanied by the Ecuadorean foreign minister, Ricardo Patio, Assange summarized his case, arguing that he had helped bring about needed change in the British extradition system and saying that his health was suffering after two years at the embassy.

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Assange faces extradition to Sweden, which is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, and the British police continue to post a 24-hour guard at the embassy at a cost of more than $10 million.

Assange argues that he has not been charged with any crime and that he fears if he leaves the embassy, he will be extradited to the United States. Investigations there continue into the disclosure of classified material to WikiLeaks, which posted material on its website and arranged for other newspapers, including The New York Times, to publish some of it.

The United States has not sought Assanges extradition and there has been no public indictment of him.

The British media, especially Sky News, had reported before the news conference that Assange would announce he was leaving the embassy to seek medical treatment.

Quoting a WikiLeaks source, media reports said that he was suffering from heart arrhythmia, very high blood pressure, and a chronic lung condition.

On Monday, Assange said he had decided to leave soon, but perhaps not for the reasons that the Murdoch press are saying at the moment. He did not elaborate.

Patio said Ecuador supported Assange and would continue to seek a negotiated legal end to the standoff.

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WikiLeaks’ Assange says he will leave embassy soon ...

By Faith Karimi, CNN

updated 7:41 AM EDT, Mon August 18, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said he'll leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in London "soon" after living there for two years to avoid extradition to Sweden.

"I can confirm I am leaving the embassy soon, but not for the reason you might think," Assange said at a news conference Monday.

He did not provide additional details but said he is suffering from health problems and would leave "when conditions are right."

However, WikiLeaks said, "his departure is not imminent."

Ecuador's foreign minister, who sat next to him, said his freedom is long overdue.

"The situation must come to an end ... two years is too long," Ricardo Patino said. "It is time to free Julian Assange. It is time for his human rights to be respected."

Swedish authorities want to question him over allegations that he raped one woman and sexually molested another.

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Julian Assange to leave Ecuadorian Embassy in London - CNN.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange announced on Monday that he plans to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has been in exile for two years.

"I am leaving the embassy soon," Assange, 43, said during a press conference, "but perhaps not for the reasons the Murdoch press are saying at the moment."

Assange has been fighting an international legal battle against extradition since WikiLeaks published classified diplomatic and military information in 2010 and his arrest in Britain that same year.

Assange took refuge in the embassy in 2012 and is facing an arrest warrant in Sweden over allegations he sexually assaulted two women, CNN reported. He denies being charged with the crime of rape or even being accused of it by two female former WikiLeaks volunteers.

"No woman has done so," he said. "In fact, the women in Sweden explicitly deny having done that."

Assange also said his health has suffered during his time at the embassy, due to the fact that he has been unable to leave.

"As you can imagine, being detained in various ways in this country without charge for four years and in this embassy for two years which has no outside area, therefore no sunlight... it is an environment in which any healthy person would find themselves soon enough with certain difficulties they would have to manage," Assange said.

If Assange steps foot outside of the embassy, he will likely be arrested, Sky News reported. He also fears that Sweden will then extradite him to America to face trial for one of the largest leaks of classified information in U.S. history.

"There has been two years of great uncertainty and a lack of legal protection," Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said during the press conference. "This situation must come to an end. Two years is simply too long."

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Julian Assange Plans To Leave Ecuadorian Embassy

Julian Assange has developed a potentially life-threatening heart condition and other health problems while living inside the Ecuadorian embassy, but cannot leave to be hospitalized, according to a report.

The WikiLeaks founder, who has been holed up in the embassy in London since June 2012, is suffering from arrhythmia, a potential fatal irregular heartbeat, as well as a chronic lung condition and high blood pressure, a source told the Mail on Sunday.

Vitamin D deficiency caused by lack of sunlight is also damaging his health and could lead to further problems down the road, including weakened bones and diabetes.

The Ecuadorian embassy has reportedly asked the Foreign Office for permission to transport Assange to the hospital, but the request was denied.

Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden regarding an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.

He has denied the allegations and said going to Stockholm would likely mean subsequent extradition to the U.S., where he is under investigation for publishing leaked, classified documents.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, the former hacker complained about the money going towards his constant policing.

Why are they burning 240,000 ($400,600) a month on me which could be better spent on hospital beds, meals for the needy or teachers salaries? he said. The Metropolitan Police Service has now spent in excess of 7 million (almost $11.7 million) on guarding the embassy, which is a ridiculous waste of taxpayers money.

vtaylor@nydailynews.com

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Julian Assange suffers from heart condition after two ...

By Kylie MacLellan

LONDON Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:27am EDT

1 of 5. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures during a news conference at the Ecuadorian embassy in central London August 18, 2014.

Credit: Reuters/John Stillwell/pool

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent over two years in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid a sex crimes inquiry in Sweden, said on Monday he planned to leave the building "soon", but Britain signaled it would still arrest him if he tried.

Assange made the surprise assertion during a news conference alongside Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino. But his spokesman played down the chances of an imminent departure, saying the British government would first need to revise its position and let him leave without arrest, something it has repeatedly refused to do.

The 43-year-old Australian fled to the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition for questioning in Sweden over sex assault and rape allegations, which he denies.

He says he fears that if extradited to Sweden he would then be handed over to the United States, where he could be tried for one of the largest information leaks in U.S. history.

Assange would be arrested if he exited the London embassy because he has breached his British bail terms.

"I am leaving the embassy soon ... but perhaps not for the reasons that Murdoch press and Sky news are saying at the moment," Assange told reporters at the embassy in central London.

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Assange argues that if he faces the allegations in Sweden he will be extradited to the US, where he could face 35 years in prison for publishing classified documents related to the Pentagons activities in Iraq and Afghanistan on WikiLeaks.

Metropolitan police officers have been stationed outside the embassy since Assange entered the building and have been ordered to arrest him if he attempts to leave.

After two years unable to go outside living within the air-conditioned interior of the embassy, Assange is suffering from arrhythmia, which is a form of irregular heartbeat, a chronic cough and high blood pressure, WikiLeaks sources revealed.

They also said the lack of Vitamin D, which is produced by exposure to sunshine, is damaging his health and could lead to a host of conditions including asthma, diabetes, weak bones and even heightened risk of dementia.

The Ecuadorian have asked the Foreign Office for permission to transport Assange to hospital in a diplomatic car but have received no response.

He would come round handcuffed to his hospital bed, a source told the Mail on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police refused to be drawn on whether Assange would face immediate arrest if he went to hospital.

Anti-secrecy activist and Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange speaks during a live video-conference in Mexico City, on August 7 2014 (Getty)

We wouldnt discuss matters like this, a spokesman said.

In an effort to keep fit, Assange has been working out with a former SAS veteran who acts as his personal trainer.

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