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Assange Will Stay In Ecuadorian Embassy, Ignoring Surrender Notice

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Kirsty Wigglesworth
/
AP
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Julian Assange will defy a British Police notice to surrender. A member of his defense fund said the WikiLeaks founder will remain in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London because asylum law take precedence over an extradition order.

Saying he was afraid of persecution from the United States government and that his extradition to Sweden could hasten that, Assange has sought refuge and asylum from Ecuador.

The Telegraph reports Susan Benn said that's what Assange had been advised.

"He's in good spirits. He's very grateful for the support shown to him by the people of Ecuador and so many others from around the world," Benn said.

"She added he would stay at the Embassy while his application for asylum is processed and said it was only a matter of time before the US launched an extradition bid," The Telegraph adds.

The BBC reports that London's Met police delivered the surrender notice to Assange on Thursday.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.