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Assange: 'world was watching'

August 19, 2012

Julian Assange faced the media and his supporters from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, after two months of being holed up there.

https://p.dw.com/p/15sdj
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, left, talks with his legal adviser Balthasar Garcon, right, while they sit inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Sunday Aug. 19, 2012. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange took refuge inside Ecuador's Embassy in London two months ago, seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sexual misconduct allegations. (AP Photo / Sean Dempsey, PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVE.
Image: AP

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has faced the world's media on Sunday from Ecuador's embassy in London where he has been holed up since June 19.

Speaking from the balcony of the embassy to a group of supporters, Assange told the gathered crowd, "I am here today, because I can't be there with you."

Assange is unable to leave the embassy as Britain has said the police contingency gathered will arrest him if, and when he does step out of the embassy.

This Friday, Assange said an emergency meeting with Latin American foreign ministers will take place in Washington D.C. to talk about the issue of his asylum.

Ecuador granted political asylum to the former Australian computer hacker last Thursday.

Assange infuriated the United States and its allies by using his WikiLeaks website to expose hundreds of thousands of secret US diplomatic and military communiqués in 2010.

jlw/msh (Reuters, AP)