Ecuador is preparing to expel WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from its embassy in London within "hours to days", according to a WikiLeaks Tweet.

According to the tweet sent out on Thursday, the "#INAPapers offshore scandal" was being seen as a pretext to expel Assange.

"A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within 'hours to days' using the INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext - and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest," the tweet read.

BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told @WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within "hours to days" using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext--and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.https://t.co/adnJph79wq — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 4, 2019

The INA papers are a collection of documents leaked to an Ecuadorian legislator which have implicated President Lenin Moreno in a corruption scandal.

The WikiLeaks statement comes two days after Moreno accused Assange of repeatedly violating the terms of his asylum and said the government was seeking an arrangement with Britain to allow Assange to leave the embassy.

In an interview broadcast by several Ecuadoran radio stations, President Moreno said: "Assange has too often repeatedly violated the agreement we have with him and his legal team," without saying whether Ecuador would withdraw asylum.

"It is not that he cannot speak freely, it is not that he cannot express himself freely, but he cannot lie, let alone hack into accounts or intercept private telephone calls" under the terms of his asylum agreement, said Moreno.

Ecuador also suspects that WikiLeaks is responsible for sharing private photographs of Moreno on social media recently.

Assange has been holed up in the embassy since 2012 to avoid arrest and extradition to Sweden on allegations of rape.

The Swedish judiciary has since dropped its investigation, but British authorities have said they will still arrest the Australian when he leaves the embassy because he violated his bail conditions by fleeing.

Assange says he fears being extradited to the United States where he could face charges relating to the publication of hacked government documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In October, Assange sued Ecuador for violating his "fundamental rights" by limiting his access to the outside world after his internet and mobile phone access were blocked back in March.

Ecuador accused him of breaking "a written commitment" not to interfere in the country's foreign policies.</s>Ecuador twists embarrassing INA Papers into pretext to oust Assange

(en Español) (background)

On 26 March, WikiLeaks’ Twitter account announced that President Moreno is being investigated by Ecuador’s Congress for corruption, sparked by the INA Papers leak. The same tweet referenced President Moreno’s attempt to surrender Assange in exchange for US debt relief, a fact that had been reported by The New York Times.

Corruption investigation opened against Ecuador’s president Moreno, after purported leaked contents of his iPhone (Whatsapp, Telegram) & Gmail were published. New York Times reported that Moreno tried to sell Assange to US for debt relief. https://t.co/0KFcBrnUfr — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 25, 2019

The following day, Foreign Minister Jose Valencia said that the WikiLeaks tweet was “an absurd lie to harm the dignity of our country… we will not tolerate… inventions and insults… I cannot anticipate when and when we will take action in relation to this, but we will take action for certain.”

On 28 March, Communications Minister Andrés Michelena told CNN Español that the INApapers were part of a plot of Julian Assange, Venezuelan President Maduro and former Ecuadorian President Correa to bring down Moreno’s government. He added, “You have to understand how these people are connected, Mr. Assange is the Troll Center, the hacker for former President Correa, [Assange] handles the technological and social media side.”

That same day, the national assembly, in which Moreno’s party and other right parties command a majority, passed a resolution inviting the Foreign Ministry to take action against Assange’s asylum on the basis of the INApapers leak “in the national interest” if it considers it pertinent to do so.

In March 2019, Moreno’s approval ratings dropped to 17%. Statements by the government of Ecuador deliberately implicate WikiLeaks in the INApapers leak. For example, Ecuador’s Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner said in a local radio interview, “What Wikileaks and other political actors have done, to publish private photos of the President of the Republic, of his family, is a despicable, repugnant, and odious act.”

The Foreign Minister said in a radio interview: “It is absolutely outrageous, reproachable, it shows Assange for what he is… of course we will act. We will not allow his website to interfere in the private channels of communication of the Ecuadorian head of state…. he is biting the hand that feeds him.”

Foreign Minister José Valencia has stated: “we are going to analyze whether Mr. Julian Assange’s aggressive publications against the Ecuadorian state merits a legal action by the Ecuadorian state.”

On 1 April, Ecuador submitted a request to the United Nations Rapporteur on Privacy to take urgent measures in response to the INApapers publication, listing WikiLeaks as the responsible party.

President Moreno, desperate to divert public attention away from the scandal, is using the claims as a pretext to oust Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. On 2 April, the President stated that Assange has “violated the ‘conditions’ of his asylum” and that he will “take a decision” “in the short term.” He said, “In WikiLeaks there is proof of espionage, of hacking, of the fact that phones have been intercepted and private conversations, there are even pictures of my bedroom.”

Assange’s lawyer in Ecuador, Carlos Poveda, explained that Assange had nothing to do with the publication: “Remember that WikiLeaks has an internal organization and Mr. Assange is no longer in the editor. We will now resort to other types of situations, especially the Inter-American Commission”. (Listen to audio here.)

Nevertheless, Ecuador’s Vice President, Otto Sonnenholzner, has suggested that Assange would be prosecuted over what he described as a WikiLeaks “hack,” alluding to the rigid protocol that Ecuador has imposed on Assange to maintain a constant threat of expulsion.

The INA Papers are a set of documents published in February 2019, allegedly uncovering the operations of INA Investment Corp, an offshore tax haven created by the brother of Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno. The trove of emails, phone communications and expense receipts are said to link the president and his family to a series of corrupt and criminal dealings, including money laundering and offshore accounts. The leak has sparked a congressional investigation into President Moreno for corruption. Moreno can’t be summoned for a criminal probe while he remains president. He is currently being investigated and risks impeachment.

Former Consul of Ecuador Fidel Navarez denounces the “resolution based on a lie” that blames Assange for the INA Papers:

The recent reaction of the Ecuadorian government to the INAPAPERS scandal could not be worse. Instead of clarifying and making the issue transparent, the government spokesmen, to divert attention from the still timorous official investigations, position a monumental lie, accusing WikiLeaks of having leaked communications and images of President Moreno’s family circle. Not a single document referring to INAPAPERS, or the president’s family, has ever been leaked or published by WikiLeaks, let alone by Julian Assange, who for more than half a year has not been its editor and who has been isolated for one year under a regime quasi-prison by the government of Ecuador. Despite being an outrageous accusation, the farce has reached the point that the Ecuadorian National Assembly has issued a resolution to investigate Julián and encourages the government to take measures to “safeguard national interests.” In short, the government seeks a false pretext to end the asylum and protection of Julian Assange.

Background on the INA Papers and Attempts to Expel Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy

What is the INA Papers corruption scandal?

On February 19th, 2019, an article titled “The Offshore Labyrinth of the Presidential Circle” was published by La Fuente. This story details how Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno and his family used offshore companies (primarily INA Investment Corp) to make expensive purchases (such as an apartment in Spain and furniture) and receive unusual, potentially dubious payments. Shortly afterwards, on March 1st, 2019, a series of documents related to the same corruption scandal were published on inapapers.org. The INA Papers website explains that the documents reveal that Moreno and his associates have used “at least a dozen offshore companies incorporated in various tax havens” to commit “a series of crimes including money laundering, tax fraud, influence peddling and the collection of bribes (bribery) to the detriment of the Ecuadorian state.”

On March 24th, Ecuador’s National Assembly announced that they would meet to discuss the allegations raised in La Fuente’s story. Two days later, the National Assembly passed a resolution to analyze the INA Papers corruption allegations and deliver a report (PDF) on their findings within 20 days . Ecuador’s Attorney General also opened a preliminary investigation into Moreno and some of his associates shortly thereafter.

Did WikiLeaks publish the INA Papers?

WikiLeaks did not publish the INA Papers. WikiLeaks only reported on the INA Papers investigation by Ecuador’s National Assembly in a March 25th tweet which stated, “Corruption investigation opened against Ecuador’s president Moreno, after purported leaked contents of his iPhone (Whatsapp, Telegram) & Gmail were published. New York Times reported that Moreno tried to sell Assange to US for debt relief. http://inapapers.org/.”

This tweet was sent almost a month after the INA Papers were published and at least 12 days after the inapapers.org URL was first tweeted by numerous other Twitter users. It did not include any documents or screenshots of documents, but merely highlighted a topic being discussed in Ecuador’s National Assembly. It was also a tweet from the WikiLeaks account, not Julian Assange (who resigned as the editor of WikiLeaks in September).

WikiLeaks is not even one of the primary media organizations reporting on the INA Papers corruption scandal. In fact, the main stories about INA Papers were written by journalists who are highly critical of WikiLeaks, including Fernando Villavicencio, who published leaked visitor logs and photos from the Ecuadorian Embassy last July and contributed to The Guardian’s fabricated story about Paul Manafort visiting Julian Assange. Since the publication of the INA Papers, Twitter has suspended both La Fuente’s Twitter account (@somos_lafuente; before it was suspended here) and the INA Papers account (@inapapers; before it was suspended here and here), possibly due to Twitter’s policy against posting hacked documents.

Why is Ecuador planning to expel Julian Assange?

On April 4th, WikiLeaks learned from two high-level sources within the Ecuadorian state “that Julian Assange will be expelled within “hours to days” using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext–and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.”

Despite the fact that WikiLeaks did not publish the INA Papers, numerous Ecuadorian officials have inaccurately attributed leak to WikiLeaks and threatened to expel Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in retribution. For example, on April 2nd, President Moreno claimed that Assange “violated the ‘conditions’ of his asylum” and that he will “take a decision” “in the short term.” He said, “In WikiLeaks there is proof of espionage, of hacking, of the fact that phones have been intercepted and private conversations, there are even pictures of my bedroom.” Ecuador’s Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner echoed this misconception in an interview the previous week, stating, “What Wikileaks and other political actors have done, to publish private photos of the President of the Republic, of his family, is a despicable, repugnant, and odious act.”

After WikiLeaks tweeted about the proceedings in Ecuador’s National Assembly related to the INA Papers corruption scandal, the National Assembly itself passed a resolution “inviting the Foreign Ministry to take action against Assange’s asylum on the basis of the INApapers leak “in the national interest” if it considers it pertinent to do so.” Former Consul of Ecuador Fidel Navarez explains the absurdity of this response: “Instead of clarifying and making the issue transparent, the government spokesmen, to divert attention from the still timorous official investigations, position a monumental lie, accusing WikiLeaks of having leaked communications and images of President Moreno’s family circle. … In short, the government seeks a false pretext to end the asylum and protection of Julian Assange.”</s>Julian Assange will be expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy - where he has been held for seven years - in a “matter of days”, Wikileaks has warned. The news was announced via WikiLeaks’ official Twitter account, which cited a source within the Ecuadorian state. According to WikiLeaks, the state has already negotiated the terms of his arrest with the UK. Now, the question is raised as to what exactly the Australian national will do next.

Why is Julian Assange being expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy? Julian Assange was granted asylum by Ecuador in 2012 when allegations of sexual assault led Swedish authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest. Charges were levelled against him two years earlier in 2010, but after an unsuccessful appeal against extradition proceedings, he breached his bail and absconded. He has been sheltered in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012 and was granted Ecuadorian citizenship in 2017. According to WikiLeaks, Assange will be expelled due to the release of the INA Papers, which allege Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno has been involved in “crimes of corruption, perjury and money laundering”. READ MORE: SECRET Assange charges could be made public

President Moreno has outright denied the allegations against him. According to the President himself, Julian Assange is being kicked out of the embassy due to violating the terms of his asylum. Mr Moreno said Assange had “repeatedly violated” the terms of his asylum while at the embassy. Speaking to the Ecuadorian radio broadcasters association on Tuesday, he said as per the agreement of his asylum, he could not “lie or, much less, hack into private accounts or private phones.” The President also mentioned he was told not to “intervene in the politics of countries, or worse friendly countries”.

He mentioned certain details of his personal life were publicly leaked, including “photos of my bedroom, what I eat and how my wife and daughters and friends dance”, and the Ecuadorian government believes WikiLeaks is responsible. WikiLeaks was a key feature in a formal complaint to Joseph Cannataci, special rapporteur for the right to privacy at the UN’s human rights council on Monday. The report accused the organisation of spreading hacked private photos and personal information from Moreno’s personal computers via social media. The INA Papers also briefly featured in the report, referred to as an “offshore corruption scandal" which are "wracking" Mr Moreno's government. Mr Moreno has said he will be deliberating on Assange’s fate “in the short term”. READ MORE: Assange told to SURRENDER to the US</s>
• WikiLeaks said its founder Julian Assange was in danger of being expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London within “hours to days,” according to a tweet the organization published on Thursday.
• A senior official in Ecuador has denied this, according to the Associated Press.
• The organization claimed in a series of tweets that the Ecuadorian government was seeking retribution against the Australian-born whistleblower over leaked papers that allege corruption involving members of Ecuador President Lenín Moreno’s family.
• WikiLeaks has denied that it published the anonymous papers, though the Ecuadorian government has responded harshly to the allegations. Ecuadorian officials did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

WikiLeaks said its founder Julian Assange was in danger of being expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London within “hours to days,” according to a tweet the organization published on Thursday.

A senior official in Ecuador has denied this, according to the Associated Press.

The 47-year-old Assange has been living inside Ecuador’s embassy in London since 2012, where he was granted asylum. The Australian-born whistleblower faced allegations of sexual assault in Sweden before seeking protection inside the embassy.

Swedish prosecutors dropped their criminal investigation in 2017, though Assange has refused to step foot outside the embassy over fears of arrest by British police and possible extradition to the US for questioning over his activity at WikiLeaks.

Ecuador granted citizenship to Assange in 2018, Reuters reported. The newswire service said that was part of an effort to give Assange a pathway out of the embassy.

In addition to WikiLeaks’ claim on Thursday that Assange would be kicked out of the embassy, it claimed that an agreement with the UK to arrest Assange was already in place.

It claimed to have “secondary confirmation” from another high level source in a tweet hours later.

Ecuadorian officials did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

Tensions between Assange and Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno – who has referred to Assange as “hacker,” an “inherited problem” and a “stone in the shoe,” since assuming office in 2017 – have existed for months.

According to WikiLeaks, those tensions stem in part from documents known as the INA papers which were anonymously leaked in February. The papers outline claims of corruption allegedly involving members of Moreno’s family.

Moreno has responded harshly to the allegations. On Tuesday, Reuters reported the Ecuadorian president told a radio broadcasting organization in the country that Assange has “repeatedly violated” the terms of his asylum and accused him of intercepting private communications.

“It is not that he cannot speak and express himself freely, but he cannot lie, nor much less hack private accounts or phones,” Moreno said.

WikiLeaks has denied releasing the INA Papers, and suggested the Ecuadorian government may be seeking retribution against Assange.

“If President Moreno wants to illegally terminate a refugee publisher’s asylum to cover up an offshore corruption scandal, history will not be kind,” WikiLeaks said in a statement to Reuters.</s>QUITO, Ecuador — A senior Ecuadorian official said no decision has been made to expel Julian Assange from the country’s London embassy despite tweets from WikiLeaks that sources had told it he could be kicked out within “hours to days.”

A small group of protesters and supporters of WikiLeaks’ founder gathered Thursday outside the embassy in London where Assange has been holed up since August 2012. He has feared extradition to the U.S. since WikiLeaks published thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables.

Earlier, WikiLeaks tweeted: “BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told @WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within “hours to days” using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext--and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.”

Another tweet said it had received a secondary confirmation from another high-level source.

Ecuador’s foreign ministry released a statement saying it “doesn’t comment on rumors, theories or conjectures that don’t have any documented backing.”

Later, a top official said while Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno was angered by the apparent hacking of his personal communications, he denied WikiLeaks’ claim and said no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the Embassy. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter.

On Tuesday, Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore corruption that in appeared in local media outlets and the publication of family photos to social media.

Moreno accused WikiLeaks of intercepting phone calls and private conversations as well as “photos of my bedroom, what I eat, and how my wife and daughters and friends dance.”

Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno’s charges “completely bogus,” saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador’s legislature investigated the issue.

Assange’s defense team suggested on Twitter that Moreno was trying to use the scandal to pressure the WikiLeaks founder.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Julian Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks, is set to be expelled from Ecuador’s Embassy in London, his home for nearly six years, the muckraking group said today.

“A high-level source within the Ecuadorian state has told WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within ‘hours to days’ using the INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext -- and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest,” said WikiLeaks on Twitter, referring to documents allegedly implicating corruption by Ecuador’s president.

Assange will face arrest if he steps out, as a Metropolitan Police arrest warrant is still in force after Assange absconded after his release on bail in 2010.

Assange has been holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy located in Knightsbridge, central London, for nearly six years after claiming diplomatic asylum in June 2012 after being wanted by Swedish prosecutors for questioning over various alleged sexual offenses.

Sweden since dropped the charges against him, but Assange remains in the embassy fearing extradition to the US on charges over WikiLeaks’ release of sensitive US government files.

He was supposed to be extradited to Stockholm by British authorities before entering the embassy.</s>A senior Ecuadorian official said no decision has been made to expel Julian Assange from the country's embassy in London, despite tweets from WikiLeaks that sources had told it he could be kicked out within "hours to days."

A small group of protesters and supporters of the WikiLeaks founder gathered Thursday outside the embassy in London where Assange has been holed up since August 2012. He has feared extradition to the U.S. since WikiLeaks published thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables.

Earlier, WikiLeaks tweeted that a "high level source within the Ecuadorian state" said there was an agreement in place with British authorities to expel Assange.

Another tweet said it had received a secondary confirmation from another high-level source.

Ecuador's foreign ministry released a statement saying it "doesn't comment on rumours, theories or conjectures that don't have any documented backing."

British police stationed armed officers outside the embassy; the red-brick building with white window frames and balconies was quiet. No embassy official or any British authorities commented on the WikiLeaks founder's status.

Asked about the presence of armed officers outside the Ecuadorian Embassy, London's Metropolitan Police force said there had been no change in police procedure.

Police said in a statement there is an active warrant for Assange's arrest and that the police are "obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy."

Police withdrew the round-the-clock guard outside the embassy in October 2015 after more than three years in favour of what the service called a "covert" approach.

Later, a top official said while Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno was angered by the apparent hacking of his personal communications, he denied WikiLeaks' claim and said no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the embassy. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter.

On Tuesday, Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore corruption that appeared in local media outlets and the publication of family photos to social media.

Moreno accused WikiLeaks of intercepting phone calls and private conversations as well as "photos of my bedroom, what I eat, and how my wife and daughters and friends dance."

Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the embassy.

WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno's charges "completely bogus," saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador's legislature investigated the issue.

Assange's defence team suggested on Twitter that Moreno was trying to use the scandal to pressure the WikiLeaks founder.</s>LONDON — Ecuador has denied WikiLeaks' claims that it is set to expel Julian Assange from its embassy in London, rejecting what it called "an attempt to stain the dignity of the country."

Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, hasn't left the embassy since 2012. He sought refuge there to avoid arrest and potential extradition to the United States for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables on the website.

The organization has also repeatedly claimed that the U.S. Justice Department is building a criminal case against Assange centered on the leaking of Democratic emails hacked by the Russians in the 2016 election.

On Friday, WikiLeaks tweeted that Assange would be expelled from the embassy "within 'hours to days'" and claimed that Ecuador "already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest."

Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Friday that Assange and WikiLeaks have shown "ingratitude and disrespect" toward the country that has given him protection on its diplomatic soil by fueling rumors that he would be handed over to British authorities.

Ecuador "has made significant expenditures to pay for his stay" and has "endured its rudeness," the ministry said.

The latest reports surrounding Assange's potential release brought renewed attention to the embassy, a red-brick building in a quiet, upscale area in the southwest of the British capital.

On Friday a few protesters gathered outside along with members of the media.

Assange, who is originally from Australia, founded WikiLeaks in 2006. The website gained global attention in 2010 with the publication of leaks provided by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst in Iraq and self-described whistleblower. Manning in March refused to testify before a federal grand jury looking into the release of documents to WikiLeaks.

Assange could also face legal troubles in Britain for violating bail conditions related to an international arrest warrant issued by the Swedish government over allegations of sexual assault and rape. Assange has denied the allegations and surrendered to British police. But once released on bail, he fled.

Sweden has since dropped its investigation and Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Friday that Assange is "a free man, he can leave that embassy whenever he wants to."

Local police said in a statement there is an active warrant for Assange's arrest and that the police are "obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the Embassy."

Assange became an Ecuadorian citizen last year despite his increasingly strained relations with the country.

The government cut off his access to the internet in 2016 after WikiLeaks published a trove of Democratic emails during the U.S. presidential campaign, saying it was preventing him from interfering in the affairs of other countries.

Last month, Ecuador's National Assembly issued a resolution to investigate if Assange played a role in the publishing of private information about President Lenín Moreno on social networks.

On Tuesday, Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore corruption that appeared in local media outlets and the publication of family photos to social media.

WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno's charges "completely bogus," saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador's legislature investigated the issue.

Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement late Friday that Ecuador had filed a complaint with the United Nations over what they called "illicit publications."

"Mr. Assange has rights but also obligations to comply with," it warned. "No person under the jurisdiction of Ecuador is above the Law."</s>A senior Ecuadorian official said no decision had been made to expel Julian Assange from the country’s London embassy despite tweets from WikiLeaks that sources had told it he could be kicked out within “hours to days”.

A small group of protesters and supporters of the WikiLeaks founder gathered outside the embassy in London where Assange has been holed up since August 2012.

He has feared extradition to the US since WikiLeaks published thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables.

Earlier, WikiLeaks tweeted: “BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told @WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within “hours to days” using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext–and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.”

Another tweet said it had received a secondary confirmation from another high-level source.

Ecuador’s foreign ministry released a statement saying it “doesn’t comment on rumours, theories or conjectures that don’t have any documented backing”.

Later, a top official said while Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno was angered by the apparent hacking of his personal communications, he denied WikiLeaks’ claim and said no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the Embassy.

On Tuesday, Mr Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore corruption that appeared in local media outlets and the publication of family photos to social media.

Mr Moreno accused WikiLeaks of intercepting phone calls and private conversations as well as “photos of my bedroom, what I eat, and how my wife and daughters and friends dance”.

He provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

WikiLeaks in a statement called Mr Moreno’s charges “completely bogus”, saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador’s legislature investigated the issue.</s>British police stationed armed officers outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Friday after tweets from WikiLeaks quoted what it said were high-level sources saying Julian Assange could be kicked out of the building within "hours to days." The red-brick embassy building with white window frames and balconies was quiet, though a few protesters gathered outside.

No embassy official commented on the WikiLeaks founder's status. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Assange is a "free man" and can leave the embassy whenever he chooses.

Asked about the presence of armed officers outside the Ecuadorian Embassy, London's Metropolitan Police force said there had been no change in police procedure. Police said in a statement there is an active warrant for Assange's arrest and that the police are "obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the Embassy."

Police withdrew the round-the-clock guard outside the embassy in October 2015 after more than three years in favor of what the service called a "covert" approach.

Assange hasn't left the embassy since August 2012, fearing if he steps off Ecuador's diplomatic soil he will be arrested and extradited to the U.S. for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables through WikiLeaks.

Ecuador's foreign ministry issued a statement late Thursday saying it wouldn't comment on what it called "rumors, theories or conjectures."

Later, a senior official told The Associated Press that no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the embassy.

WikiLeaks argued in a statement Friday that forcing Assange out of the embassy would be illegal and a violation of international law on refugees.

Hunt said that "Julian Assange is a free man" and "can leave that embassy whenever he wants to, so we want the situation resolved as quickly as possible." Asked whether he thought that was likely, the British foreign secretary replied: "That's up to him"

WikiLeaks on Thursday tweeted: "BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within "hours to days" using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext--and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest."

Another tweet said it had received a secondary confirmation from another high-level source.

But a top official said while Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno was angered by the apparent hacking of his personal communications, he denied WikiLeaks' claim and said no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the Embassy. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter.

On Tuesday, Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore corruption that in appeared in local media outlets and the publication of family photos to social media. Moreno accused WikiLeaks of intercepting phone calls and private conversations as well as "photos of my bedroom, what I eat, and how my wife and daughters and friends dance."

Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno's charges "completely bogus," saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador's legislature investigated the issue.

Assange's defense team suggested on Twitter that Moreno was trying to use the scandal to pressure the WikiLeaks founder.
WikiLeaks says that a high-level source within the government of Ecuador has informed them that Julian Assange will be expelled within "hours to days" and that Ecuador's government already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest. On April 2, 2019, Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno accused WikiLeaks of leaking the INA Papers, a set of documents published in February 2019 which uncover the operations of INA Investment Corp, an offshore tax haven created by the brother of President Moreno and allegedly reveal government corruption.