April 6, 2019, By Linda Givetash

Ecuador has denied WikiLeaks' claims that it is set to expel Julian Assange from its embassy in London, rejecting what it called "an attempt to stain the dignity of the country."

Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, hasn't left the embassy since 2012. He sought refuge there to avoid arrest and potential extradition to the United States for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables on the website.

The organization has also repeatedly claimed that the U.S. Justice Department is building a criminal case against Assange centered on the leaking of Democratic emails hacked by the Russians in the 2016 election.

On Friday, WikiLeaks tweeted that Assange would be expelled from the embassy "within 'hours to days'" and claimed that Ecuador "already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest."

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Last month, Ecuador's National Assembly issued a resolution to investigate if Assange played a role in the publishing of private information about President Lenín Moreno on social networks.

On Tuesday, Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore corruption that appeared in local media outlets and the publication of family photos to social media.

WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno's charges "completely bogus," saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador's legislature investigated the issue.

Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement late Friday that Ecuador had filed a complaint with the United Nations over what they called "illicit publications."

"Mr. Assange has rights but also obligations to comply with," it warned. "No person under the jurisdiction of Ecuador is above the Law."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ecuad...assange-n991656