international man of mystery

Julian Assange Is Thinking About Eventually Leaving the Embassy He’s Been Holed Up in for 2 Years

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures during a press conference inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on August 18, 2014 where Assange has been holed up for two years. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would
Photo: John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images

Soon.”

Although he provided no specific details about his plan, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said today that he’s considering moving. Apparently, two years without leaving the Ecuadorean embassy in London can be hard on a guy. “I am leaving the embassy soon,” Assange announced at a Monday news conference. “But perhaps not for the reasons that the Murdoch press are saying at the moment.” Murdoch’s Sky News reported that Assange is struggling with his health, suffering from “heart arrhythmia, very high blood pressure, and a chronic lung condition.”

For those who have opted to forget this particular drawn-out saga, Assange still faces extradition to Sweden, where he’s wanted for questioning in two cases of sexual assault. He claims it’s all a ruse to extradite him, eventually, to the United States to face espionage charges. If he steps foot out of the embassy, Assange risks an encounter with British police — a guard has been waiting for him out there for two years, “at a cost of more than $10 million,” the Times reports.

The situation must come to an end,” said Ricardo Patiño, an Ecuadorean foreign minister, at today’s news conference. “Two years have been definitely too long. It is time to free Julian Assange, it is time for his human rights to be respected.” It’s also probably time for him to shave.

Julian Assange: Leaving That Embassy Eventually