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| Julian Assange: Police end guard at Wikileaks founder's embassy refuge | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Police will no longer be stationed outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has sought refuge since 2012, the Met Police has said. | |
| Officers had been there since Mr Assange sought asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden over a rape allegation, which he denies. | |
| The cost of the police presence is estimated to have been more than £12m. | |
| The Met said the round-the-clock presence was "no longer proportionate". | |
| However the force also said it would be deploying "a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him". | |
| 'Overt and covert' | 'Overt and covert' |
| It also said that "resources are finite" and there were "so many different criminal, and other, threats to the city". | It also said that "resources are finite" and there were "so many different criminal, and other, threats to the city". |
| "The Metropolitan Police Service has to balance the interests of justice in this case with the ongoing risks to the safety of Londoners and all those we protect, investigating crime and arresting offenders wanted for serious offences, in deciding what a proportionate response is," it added. | "The Metropolitan Police Service has to balance the interests of justice in this case with the ongoing risks to the safety of Londoners and all those we protect, investigating crime and arresting offenders wanted for serious offences, in deciding what a proportionate response is," it added. |
| The Australian sought asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden, because he feared he would then be sent to the US and put on trial for releasing secret US documents. | The Australian sought asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden, because he feared he would then be sent to the US and put on trial for releasing secret US documents. |
| The UK has paid for policing around the embassy in Knightsbridge, central London, for the past three years. | The UK has paid for policing around the embassy in Knightsbridge, central London, for the past three years. |
| Mr Assange was granted political asylum by Ecuador in 2012, under the 1951 Refugee Convention. | |
| Swedish officials said recently they were optimistic about reaching an agreement with Ecuador which could pave the way for the questioning of Mr Assange in London on outstanding accusations against him. | Swedish officials said recently they were optimistic about reaching an agreement with Ecuador which could pave the way for the questioning of Mr Assange in London on outstanding accusations against him. |
| Last month, prosecutors dropped cases of alleged sexual misconduct against the 44-year-old but say they want to question him about accusations of rape, made after his visit to the country five years ago. | Last month, prosecutors dropped cases of alleged sexual misconduct against the 44-year-old but say they want to question him about accusations of rape, made after his visit to the country five years ago. |
| Assange assault claims: Key dates: | Assange assault claims: Key dates: |
| Full timeline | Full timeline |
| Julian Assange profile | Julian Assange profile |
| Mr Assange has previously said he would welcome being questioned at the embassy. | |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The head of the Diplomatic Service, Simon McDonald, summoned the Ecuadorean Ambassador today [12 October] to register once again our deep frustration at the protracted delay. | |
| "The UK has been absolutely clear since June 2012 that we have a legal obligation to extradite Assange to Sweden. That obligation remains today." |