Assange refuses demands to report for extradition

Julian Assange will continue his quest for Ecuadorian political asylum. Photo / AP

Julian Assange will refuse a demand that he report to British police for extradition and instead continue his quest for Ecuadorian political asylum.

In accordance with a ruling by seven Supreme Court judges in May, Mr Assange on Thursday became subject to extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on sexual assault allegations.

A letter from the Metropolitan Police was delivered to Ecuador's London embassy on Thursday, where the Brisbane-born 40-year-old has been holed up for nine days seeking political asylum.

The letter "requires him to attend a police station at a date and time of our choosing. This is standard practice in extradition cases and is the first step in the removal process."

But Mr Assange has told BBC television: "Our advice is that asylum law both internationally and domestically takes precedence over extradition law, so almost certainly not."

He said the staff in the embassy, opposite the Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, had been "warm and generous".

"The staff here are keeping me well and providing for my basic needs."

Mr Assange denies allegations that when visiting Stockholm in August 2010 he assaulted two women. He believes Swedish authorities will hand him over to the US, where the operations of WikiLeaks are under investigation for releasing hundreds of thousands of secret government documents.

Journalist John Pilger, a close supporter of Mr Assange, told AAP: "Julian and his lawyer and others have spent all the time he has been in the embassy putting together a very substantial document that details the reasons why they believe he should be given political asylum.

"And those reasons include a catalogue of the threats made to his life, the threats made to his liberty, and especially the campaign in the US to prosecute him when he or WikiLeaks have committed no crime under the first amendment of the Constitution.

"That (document) will go to Ecuador because the Ecuadorian government needs that to inform itself and reassure itself that political asylum is justified."

Mr Pilger, who last visited Mr Assange on Tuesday, said the document has been completed and submitted and thoughts had turned to what will happen when Ecuador makes its decision.

"If granted asylum it certainly places on the international agenda the fact that Julian Assange is an accredited political refugee and all kinds of developments could flow from that.

"But you can't foresee what's going to happen because you can't influence the minds of the Metropolitan Police or the UK government."

Meanwhile, Mr Pilger said his friend remains positive.

"He combines being in good spirits with being analytical about it all," he said.

"He feels that he has taken back the initiative he felt he was losing before he did this and he certainly felt before he did this that he had very little choice, that once extradited there would not be any opportunity to intervene with a process that could end up with him in a supermax prison in the US."

- AAP