'We hope Assange won't die here' ECUADOR fears Julian Assange could end up dying in its London embassy, as a breakthrough to the diplomatic wrangling over his sanctuary has no set deadline in sight, Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino has declared. Mr Patino came to London to appeal in person to his British counterpart, William Hague, for the release of the Australian founder of Wikileaks, who has now been in his country's embassy in London for one year tomorrow. Ecuador's top diplomat said Britain's continued refusal to allow the 41-year-old Assange to leave his embassy for a new life in Ecuador was wholly against human rights conventions and was affecting his health. He said he and Mr Hague agreed to have their officials form a high-level legal committee to look at ways of brokering a deal, the committee to hold meetings both in Britain and Ecuador this year. But he said he feared foreign governments, specifically the British government, appeared prepared to let him die on their premises. "We do hope Mr Assange is not going to get older and die in our embassy, but we are defending his human rights and we are following the obligations that all states have, including the UK, to protect the rights," he said. Mr Patino said he spoke with the Australian activist in the embassy and Assange was in "good spirits," despite virtually being a prisoner. He said Assange told him he was strong enough to stay in his embassy bolt-hole for five years, to which Mr Patino replied that would be an injustice and he hoped it would not be much longer, but he was a patient man. "For us, this is a matter of principle rather than patience and if you have strong principles, of course you must have patience," he said. We are committed to protecting the personal safety and life of a citizen, we are committed to that and therefore when you act in principle you have all the time in the world. We have told this to both Mr Hague and Mr Assange. Britain has police surrounding the embassy to arrest Assange on sight after he jumped bail and sought sanctuary in Ecuador's embassy to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces accusations of sexual assault made by two women. Assange he says he fears he will be sent to the United States, where he faces charges of leaking sensitive American diplomatic and military cables.