Julian Assange marks 2nd year in Ecuador's embassy

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

In this file picture taken on December 20, 2012 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange addresses members of the media and supporters from the window of the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge, west London. AFP Photo

Julian Assange is marking the second anniversary of his stay in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, saying he has no intention of returning to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual misconduct.
     
As supporters chanted slogans outside the embassy, Assange maintained he didn't want to go to Sweden because he had no guarantee he wouldn't subsequently be sent to the United States, where an investigation into WikiLeaks' dissemination of hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. documents remains live.
     
Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said Thursday Assange can stay at the embassy "for as long as necessary" and there would be no attempt to force him back to Sweden.
     
Assange fled to the cramped building in 2012 after losing his battle against extradition to Sweden in Britain's highest court.