WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange announced Monday that he was leaving his embassy bolt hole, but his spokesman later clarified that that would not happen unless the impasse over his extradition were resolved, according to Reuters.
Assange made the cryptic comments during a press conference at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London following a meeting with Ricardo Patino, the Latin American nation's foreign minister, Reuters reported. Patino said Monday negotiations between Ecuador and the U.K. remain deadlocked.
When asked about speculation that the 43-year-old Australian was ready to leave the embassy to seek medical treatment, Assange declined to answer directly, instead pointing to Kristinn Hrafnsson, the WikiLeaks spokesman, who was in the back of the room, according to Reuters.
"He said I can confirm that I am leaving the embassy soon, but perhaps not for the reasons that (news media) are saying," Assange said, Reuters reported. He refused to elaborate on the awkwardly worded statement.
Leaving the embassy would be a big move for Assange, who has remained trapped in the building since he sought refuge there more than two years ago, according to Reuters.
Assange is seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted over sex crimes allegations, or the United States, where authorities are investigating his spectacular disclosures of secret information, Reuters reported.
As bewildered journalists huddled after the press conference, Hrafnsson said that what Assange meant to convey was that he was ready to leave the embassy as soon as the British government gave him the guarantees he was seeking, namely the right to travel freely to Ecuador where he has asylum, according to Reuters.
"The plan is to leave as soon as the U.K. government decides to honor its obligations," Hrafnsson said, repeating Assange's long-held position, Reuters reported.
