World
UN panel 'rules in Julian Assange's favour'
A UN panel has ruled Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been "unlawfully detained", the BBC understands.A UN panel has ruled Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been "unlawfully detained", the BBC understands.
Mr Assange claimed asylum in London's Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex assault claims, which he denies.
The Met Police said he will still be held if he does leave the embassy.
He earlier tweeted he would accept arrest if the panel ruled against him, but called for his arrest warrant to be dropped if the decision went his way.
A warrant for his arrest remains in place.
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 UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is due to announce the findings of its investigation into the case on Friday.
Its panel of legal experts has taken evidence from the UK and Sweden.
While the BBC understands the panel will find in Mr Assange's favour, Wikileaks tweeted it was waiting for "official confirmation".
The panel decisions is not legally binding on the UK or Sweden, Clive Coleman, BBC legal affairs correspondent said.
Mr Assange will argue the decision is significant and adds considerable legal and moral force to the argument he is being arbitrarily detained, he said.
But our correspondent added the UK government is likely to argue that Mr Assange's detention is "self-imposed and follows an entirely lawful process".
The UK Foreign Office has said it still had an obligation to extradite Mr Assange.
Australian Mr Assange was originally arrested in London in 2010 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden.
He claimed asylum inside the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge after the UK Supreme Court 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.
His Wikileaks organisation posted secret American government documents on the internet, and Mr Assange says he believes Washington will seek his transfer to the US 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.