Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Is Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorean embassy? 
 
 A UN panel will conclude Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is being "arbitrarily detained" in the UK, the Swedish foreign ministry has said. 
 
 Mr Assange, 44, claimed asylum in London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. He wants to avoid extradition to Sweden over a rape claim, which he denies. 
 
 The Met Police says Mr Assange will be arrested if he leaves the embassy. 
 
 Swedish prosecutors said the UN panel's decision would have "no formal impact" on its ongoing investigation. 
 
 Mr Assange earlier said his passport should be returned and his arrest warrant dropped if the UN panel, due to deliver its findings on Friday, ruled in his favour. 
 
 The Australian was originally arrested in London in 2010 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden over rape and sexual assault claims. 
 
 In 2012, while on bail, he claimed asylum inside the Ecuadorean embassy in Knightsbridge after the UK Supreme Court had ruled the extradition against him could go ahead. 
 
 Swedish prosecutors dropped two sex assault claims against Mr Assange last year. However, he still faces the more serious accusation of rape. 
 
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 Timeline of the Julian Assange case 
 
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 'Avoiding lawful arrest' 
 
 In 2014, Mr Assange complained to the UN that he was being "arbitrarily detained" as he could not leave the embassy without being arrested. 
 
 The application claimed Mr Assange had been "deprived of his liberty in an arbitrary manner for an unacceptable length of time". 
 
 The UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has been investigating the issue. 
 
 The Press Association said key factors in the panel's decision would include the inability of Mr Assange to access political asylum, the fact he has never been charged, and changes to UK law and procedures since he arrived at the embassy. 
 
 Wikileaks earlier tweeted it was waiting for "official confirmation" of the UN panel's decision. 
 
 Downing Street said the panel's ruling would not be legally binding in the UK while a European Arrest Warrant remained in place. 
 
 "We have been consistently clear that Mr Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK but is, in fact, voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy," a spokesman said. 
 
 "The UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden." 
 
 The Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement that it noted the UN panel's decision "differs from that of the Swedish authorities". 
 
 The statement added the legal process for Mr Assange's case would be handled in court by Swedish prosecutors. 
 
 Image caption Mr Assange issued his statement on Twitter 
 
 Per Samuelsson, Mr Assange's lawyer, said Swedish authorities would be "morally" wrong to continue the investigation if the UN panel found in his favour. 
 
 "The ball is in Sweden's yard, in the prosecutor's yard. She is not formally bound by the decision by the UN, but morally it is very difficult to go against it." 
 
 The journalist John Pilger, who is a friend of Mr Assange, said "the ball is now at the feet of the British government", whose international legal "obligations" were represented by the UN panel. 
 
 "They did something in terms of supporting the tribunal in all the other celebrated cases, and Assange now joins them because the UN jurists have clearly found this is a case of arbitrary detention," he said. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Assange's supporter and friend Vaughan Smith hopes he will now be freed 
 
 Mr Assange's Wikileaks organisation posted secret American government documents on the internet, and he says Washington could seek his extradition to the US to face espionage charges if he is sent to Sweden. 
 
 In the statement, published earlier by Wikileaks on Twitter, Mr Assange said: "Should the UN announce tomorrow that I have lost my case against the United Kingdom and Sweden I shall exit the embassy at noon on Friday to accept arrest by British police as there is no meaningful prospect of further appeal. 
 
 "However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me." 
 
 Last October, Scotland Yard said it would no longer station officers outside the Ecuador embassy following an operation which it said had cost £12.6m. But it said "a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him" would still be deployed. 
 
 Julian Assange: Key dates ||||| Image caption Mr Assange appeared at a press conference via a video link 
 
 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should be allowed to walk free and be compensated for his "deprivation of liberty", a UN legal panel has found. 
 
 Mr Assange, 44, - who faces extradition to Sweden over a rape claim, which he denies - claimed asylum in London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. 
 
 He has been arbitrarily detained since his arrest in 2010, the panel said. 
 
 The UK foreign secretary said the decision was "ridiculous", but Mr Assange hailed a "significant victory". 
 
 Speaking at a news conference via a video link from the embassy, he said the opinion of the panel was "vindication", adding: "The lawfulness of my detention is now a matter of settled law." 
 
 Mr Assange said it was a "really significant victory that has brought a smile to my face". 
 
 However, the UK Foreign Office said the report "changes nothing" and it will "formally contest the working group's opinion". 
 
 Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Mr Assange was a "fugitive from justice", adding that he can come out "any time he chooses" but will still have to face justice in Sweden. 
 
 The Met Police said it will make "every effort" to arrest Mr Assange should he leave the embassy. 
 
 The government says the panel's ruling is not legally binding in the UK and a European Arrest Warrant remains in place - meaning the UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange. 
 
 Why is Julian Assange back in the news? 
 
 Who is Julian Assange? 
 
 The UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention insisted Mr Assange's detention "should be brought to an end, that his physical integrity and freedom of movement be respected". 
 
 "Mr Assange should be afforded the right to compensation," it added. 
 
 The Wikileaks founder had been subjected to "different forms of deprivation of liberty" it said, initially while he was held in isolation at London's Wandsworth Prison for 10 days in 2010. 
 
 The deprivation had been "continuous" since he was initially arrested in the UK on 7 December 2010. 
 
 It also found a "lack of diligence" by the Swedish Prosecutor's Office in its investigations, which resulted in his lengthy loss of liberty. 
 
 Three members of the five-person panel found in Mr Assange's favour, while one rejected his claim and another did not take part in the investigation. 
 
 Analysis 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Is Julian Assange leaving the Ecuadorean embassy? 
 
 By Caroline Hawley, BBC diplomatic correspondent 
 
 Julian Assange and his supporters will see this as a significant moral victory. 
 
 The Wikileaks founder, who walked into the Ecuadorian Embassy after losing a series of appeals in British courts, now has an important panel of UN legal experts on his side. 
 
 Legally binding or not, a UN official said the decision was based on international law. 
 
 Although both Britain and Sweden are firmly sticking to their guns, they are now in an extremely awkward position. The Swedish government has seized on the dissenting voice in the panel - who argued, as Britain does, that Mr Assange fled bail and was using the Ecuadorian embassy to evade arrest. 
 
 The call for compensation for Mr Assange is particularly controversial when there is already public anger in the UK over the cost of policing his confinement at the embassy. 
 
 A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Assange "has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK", adding: "He is, in fact, voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy." 
 
 "We are deeply frustrated that this unacceptable situation is still being allowed to continue," the spokesman added. 
 
 The UK's permanent representative to the UN, Julian Braithwaite, has written to the panel expressing the government's surprise and disappointment with the outcome. 
 
 The Swedish government said Mr Assange was free to leave the embassy at any point and said he was not being deprived of his liberty. 
 
 In September 2014, Mr Assange - who has been living in the embassy for more than three years - complained to the UN that he was being "arbitrarily detained" as he could not leave without being arrested. 
 
 The complaint against the UK and Sweden claimed Mr Assange had been deprived of his liberty for an "unacceptable length of time". 
 
 In a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday, Mr Assange said his passport should be returned and his arrest warrant dropped if the UN panel ruled in his favour. 
 
 The Australian had his passport taken by UK authorities during the investigation. 
 
 What does the UN panel do? 
 
 The UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is made up of five legal experts from around the world. 
 
 Established in 1991, it has made hundreds of rulings on whether imprisonment or detention is lawful. 
 
 High profile complainants include Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was released in Iran last month. 
 
 It also offered an opinion on former pro-democracy President Mohamed Nasheed, released in the Maldives last year, and Myanmar party leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. 
 
 Timeline of the Julian Assange case 
 
 How unhealthy is living indoors? 
 
 Mr Assange was originally arrested in London in 2010 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden over rape and sexual assault claims. 
 
 In 2012, while on bail, he claimed asylum inside the Ecuadorean embassy in Knightsbridge after the UK Supreme Court had ruled the extradition against him could go ahead. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Assange's supporter and friend Vaughan Smith hopes he will now be freed 
 
 Swedish prosecutors dropped two sex assault claims against Mr Assange last year. However, he still faces the more serious accusation of rape. 
 
 Julian Assange: Key dates ||||| A United Nations panel has decided that Julian Assange’s three-and-a-half years in the Ecuadorian embassy amount to “arbitrary detention”, leading his lawyers to call for the Swedish extradition request to be dropped immediately. 
 
 A Swedish foreign ministry spokeswoman confirmed that the UN panel, due to publish its findings on Friday, had concluded that Assange was “arbitrarily detained”. 
 
 The WikiLeaks founder sought asylum from Ecuador in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations, which he denies. 
 
 The panel’s findings were disclosed to the Swedish and British governments on 22 January, and will be published on Friday morning. Their judgment is not legally binding but can be used to apply pressure on states in human rights cases. 
 
 Julian Assange's embassy showdown: what it means and what happens next Read more 
 
 Anna Ekberg, spokesperson for the Swedish foreign ministry, said: “The UN working group on arbitrary detention has concluded that Mr Assange is arbitrarily detained. The working group’s view differs from that of the Swedish authorities. We will forward a reply to the working group tomorrow. It will be more clear tomorrow why we reject the working group’s conclusions.” 
 
 Assange’s Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, said earlier that if the working group found in his favour, “there is only one solution for Marianne Ny [the Swedish prosecutor seeking Assange’s extradition], and that is to immediately release him and drop the case”. Samuelson added: “If he is regarded as detained, that means he has served his time, so I see no other option for Sweden but to close the case.” 
 
 
 
 Assange’s lawyers demanded assurances from the UK that he would not be arrested and subjected to extradition proceedings to face potential prosecution over WikiLeaks’ publishing activities. 
 
 The British Foreign Office said it would not pre-empt the panel’s findings, but said in a statement: “We have been consistently clear that Mr Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK but is, in fact, voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorian embassy. 
 
 “An allegation of rape is still outstanding and a European arrest warrant in place, so the UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden.” 
 
 In a statement issued by WikiLeaks on Twitter, Assange said that if the UN panel rejected his claim, he would voluntarily walk out of the embassy on Friday and accept arrest “as there is no meaningful prospect of further appeal”. 
 
 He added: “However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me.” 
 
 Neither Sweden nor the UK will be compelled to take any action, but a source familiar with the working group said that if the governments choose to ignore the decision, it could make it difficult for them in future to bring pressure on other countries over human rights violations. 
 
 Assange’s lawyers had appealed to the UN panel claiming that his stay in the embassy was arbitrary because he had been unable to exercise his right to asylum, arguing: “The only way for Mr Assange to enjoy is right to asylum is to be in detention. This is not a legally acceptable choice.” 
 
 They also argued that UK law had changed since 2012, which meant that if arrested today he would no longer be liable to extradition under the European arrest warrant. 
 
 Melinda Taylor, an Assange legal spokeswoman, said the Australian had not yet been formally informed by the panel of its findings, but “if it finds that the standard for arbitrary detention is met, we would expect his release and compensation”. 
 
 In addition to Sweden dropping the extradition request, she called for the UK to return Assange’s passport and give him assurances that he would not be subject to arrest for a potential further extradition request by the US. 
 
 Assange and WikiLeaks have been the subject of a secret grand jury investigation in Virginia that has been looking into whether to prosecute them over the US cable disclosures, and the Australian fears that he could become immediately subject to a second extradition process even if Sweden drops its inquiry. 
 
 “If one of the orders is that he should be released and his liberty should be assured, we would obviously look to the UK to make sure that it is effective and not illusory, that it’s not just liberty for five seconds, but liberty that is meaningful,” Taylor said. 
 
 British police ended the costly 24-hour guard of the Knightsbridge embassy last October, but the building remains under covert surveillance. A Metropolitan police spokesman said on Thursday: “The operation to arrest Julian Assange does continue and should he leave the embassy the MPS will make every effort to arrest him.” 
 
 Sweden and Ecuador have been locked in lengthy negotiations over arrangements to allow Swedish prosecutors to interview Assange in the embassy. Ecuador’s foreign minister said last month that the country would allow access for questioning, but Sweden later said its request had been rejected “on formal grounds”. It is considering whether to submit a fresh request. 
 
 Samuelson said his client still hoped to clear his name. “This does not mean that the question of interrogation will be over. We still want an interrogation to take place so that Mr Assange can clear his name and show everyone that he is innocent. 
 
 “The difference is that he will no longer be in custody in absentia and thus be able to use his asylum outside of the embassy. If Assange is regarded as detained he has already served the time so to speak so Marianne Ny should drop the case altogether.” 
 
 Last August Sweden dropped part of its investigation into Assange after the statute of limitations on allegations of sexual assault expired. It is still seeking to interview him on one outstanding allegation of rape. The accusations were made by two women in Sweden in 2010, but no charges have been brought. 
 
 Timeline: Julian Assange and Sweden's prosecutors Read more 
 
 At the Ecuadorian embassy, the WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said that if Assange’s claim through the UN was successful he planned to appear by videolink at a press conference in west London on Friday. “If he loses, as he says, he’ll just walk out of there,” Hrafnsson told the Guardian, as he left the embassy building after around three hours of discussions with Assange. 
 
 “The process has been going on for 18 months, the UK government has made submissions to the working group so it has accepted its authority,” Hrafnsson said. “What signal does it send that the UK and Sweden would ignore this UN body? It would completely destroy its authority. Are they willing to set that precedent? Egypt has not accepted its findings with regard to the detention of its former president [Mohammed Morsi] - is that the standard the UK wants to hold?” 
 
 Assange’s health is fragile from the effects of living inside for more than three years but Hrafnsson said he was busily preparing for Friday. “However the decision goes, it is an extremely important moment for him. Hopefully it’s the end of the road.” ||||| Media wait in front of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is staying, Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. A U.N. human rights panel says WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who... (Associated Press) 
 
 LONDON (AP) — A United Nations human rights panel has sided with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in his long-running battle with Swedish and British authorities, saying he should be freed immediately and compensated for the years he has lost. 
 
 The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which falls under the offices of the U.N. human rights chief, said Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" by Britain and Sweden since December 2010, when he was first sought for questioning on allegations of sexual misconduct. 
 
 The panel's recommendation was immediately rejected by Swedish and British officials who said Assange's legal situation is unchanged. He remains in the Embassy of Ecuador in London, where he sought refuge more than three years ago. 
 
 Speaking by video link from the embassy, Assange told a news conference the finding that he has been unlawfully detained is a significant victory that completely vindicates him. He said it brought a smile to his face. 
 
 His lawyers said Assange must be freed immediately and given protection from possible extradition to the United States. 
 
 Lawyer Melinda Taylor said the finding shows that Assange has been subjected to mental torture throughout his long ordeal and now faces round-the-clock overt and covert surveillance while seeking safety at the embassy. 
 
 Prominent Spanish jurist Baltasar Garzon said it is "imperative" that Sweden and Britain respect the panel's. 
 
 British and Swedish officials maintain the panel's finding has no legal force, but it represents a public relations victory for Assange, who argues that the allegations against him are part of a plot to send him to the United States to face more possible charges related to WikiLeaks' release of classified documents. 
 
 The panel's decision was not unanimous: Vladimir Tochilovsky, a Ukrainian member, disagreed with the other three voting members. He did not believe the group had a mandate to investigate the case because he did not believe Assange had been detained. The fifth member of the panel recused herself because she is Australian, as is Assange. 
 
 It is not clear if U.S. judicial officials are seeking Assange's arrest on U.S. charges. No charges have been filed against Assange in Sweden, but Swedish prosecutors want to question him over allegations of rape stemming from a working visit he made to the country in 2010 when WikiLeaks was attracting international attention for its secret-spilling. 
 
 Assange has consistently denied the allegations but declined to return to Sweden to meet with prosecutors and eventually sought refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he has lived since June 2012. 
 
 The panel criticized Sweden's approach, noting that Assange was never formally charged in Sweden — only placed under preliminary investigation. 
 
 "The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considers that the various forms of deprivation of liberty to which Julian Assange has been subjected constitute a form of arbitrary detention," said panel chairman Seong-Phil Hong in a statement. 
 
 Citing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that has 168 state parties including both Sweden and Britain, the panel said "the adequate remedy would be to ensure the right of free movement of Mr. Assange and accord him an enforceable right to compensation." 
 
 British officials argue that Assange is free to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy at any time — although he would face arrest from British police because of a European Arrest Warrant issued at Sweden's behest. He is also sought by Britain for jumping bail. 
 
 The panel's decision, which was given privately to the governments before it was released to the public, seems to have stunned officials in Sweden and Britain who maintain proper procedures have been followed at all times. 
 
 Karin Rosander, spokeswoman for the Swedish Prosecution Authority, said that under Swedish law the panel's conclusion will have no "formal impact." 
 
 British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called the panel's finding "frankly ridiculous". 
 
 The panel criticized a "disproportionate" reaction by Swedish prosecutors in issuing a European arrest warrant rather than seeking to question Assange using bilateral agreements with Britain, and insisted that the Swedish prosecutor refused to consider other ways of interviewing him compatible with his right to asylum — which it said was not properly respected. 
 
 Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement it would formally contest the panel's opinion. 
 
 "This changes nothing. We completely reject any claim that Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention," the Foreign Office said in a statement. "Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the U.K. The opinion of the U.N. Working Group ignores the facts and the well-recognized protections of the British legal system." 
 
 It countered that Assange was "voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy." 
 
 The case has also been complicated by uncertainty surrounding Assange's legal status in the United States. The U.S. government has not revealed whether he has been indicted — grand jury proceedings are secret there — but has indicated that sensitive investigations into Assange and WikiLeaks have been made. 
 
 The working group said Assange could face "refoulement" to the United States — being handed over to a country where he could face violence or prison. The U.N. upholds the principle of non-refoulement prohibiting that practice. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Keaten reported from Geneva. Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark and Jill Lawless in London contributed.
– For Julian Assange, there's good news and bad news. The good is that a UN panel has ruled in his favor and found that Britain is essentially keeping him in arbitrary detention, reports the BBC. The bad is that London doesn't care and vows to arrest him if he tries to leave the Ecuadorean embassy, reports Reuters. The developments come after Assange appealed to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to look into his case. The official ruling is to be made public on Friday, but both the BBC and the Guardian say the panel has sided with Assange. The WikiLeaks founder has been holed up in the embassy for more than three years, hoping to avoid being extradited to Sweden to face sex-crimes charges. In an earlier tweet, Assange said he would turn himself in to police if the panel ruled against him, reports the AP. "However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me," he wrote. That appears unlikely: A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday that the ruling isn't legally binding and that Assange—who also fears extradition to the US over the leaking of military secrets—would be immediately arrested if he tries to leave. WikiLeaks, meanwhile, says it is awaiting confirmation of the news reports about the ruling.