Wikileaks’ Julian Assange considering suing Nick Clegg for defamation

Julian Assange is considering legal action against Nick Clegg over comments he made on a radio programme yesterday.

The Wikileaks founder is taking legal advice on whether he should sue the Deputy Prime Minsiter for defamation, after he said he had been "charged" with a crime.

Mr Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over accusations of sexual assault, but he has yet to be charged over the matter.

Mr Clegg made the comments during his phone-in discussion programme, Call Clegg, on LBC Radio on Thursday morning.

In a statement released on the Wikileaks website, Mr Assange said: "I have instructed my legal team to examine whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg should be sued for defamation.

"Nick Clegg falsely stated to the media yesterday, in comments that were widely reported, that I had been "charged" with an offence. I have not been charged or indicted, in this country or in Sweden as the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom clearly states."

The Metropolitan Police has spent 10m policing the embassy in case Assange leaves the building, according to figures obtained by LBC under the Freedom of Information act.

In August, he said he was planning to leave the embassy "soon" - but he remains within the building where he has been for 950 days.

During the phone-in, Mr Clegg said Assange should "go to Sweden" to face justice.

Swedish authorities want to speak to Mr Assange over allegations he sexually assaulted two women in Stockholm in 2010.

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Wikileaks' Julian Assange considering suing Nick Clegg for defamation