UK: Julian Assange, hiding inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for almost two years, may remain there indefinitely, the Ecuadorean ambassador said, adding \"it's a pity\" that UK citizens have to cover the growing policing bill. <\/p>\n
The 67 year old diplomat, Juan Falconi Puig said that Assange was \"suffering\" in custody but could remain there for a long time after the Wikileaks founder lost a Supreme Court bid to stop his extradition to Sweden, where the 42-year-old Australian is wanted for questioning over rape allegations, The Times reports. <\/p>\n
Assange is \"not a fugitive\", Falconi stressed, reminding that Ecuador's President, Rafael Correa, granted him asylum on human rights grounds - and that Assange, if eventually extradited to the US, would face persecution and could even be tortured. <\/p>\n
\"He thinks it is a very strong possibility. The (Ecuadorean) government have accepted that position,\" Falconi said. <\/p>\n
The UK has been refusing to provide Assange safe passage to Ecuador ever since the Australian sought refuge inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in June 2012. <\/p>\n
Since he entered the embassy, the security measures implemented by the British security services to prevent Assange from escaping the Ecuadorian premises have amounted to 6 million for the British taxpayers. <\/p>\n
\"The estimated total cost of policing the Ecuadorean embassy between June 2012 and the end of March 2014 is 5.9 million, of which 4.9 million is opportunity costs and 1 million in additional costs,\" a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Service announced in April, causing some outcry from the British public. <\/p>\n
\"It is absolute madness. I have been asking the Met questions about this because clearly at the moment the cost is falling on London taxpayers as a net police cost,\" Baroness Jenny Jones, deputy chair of the Police and Crime Committee at the London Assembly, was quoted in April. <\/p>\n
She suggested that the Metropolitan Police should just walk away. \"I do understand the legal ramifications of the case, but the fact is this is a complete nonsense. He could stay there for years.\" <\/p>\n
Commenting on the growing bill, Falcone said, \"That's not our problem.\" <\/p>\n
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