News / Society / Interviews

UK police stop guarding Assange at Ecuadorian embassy

Monday, 12 October 2015 2:24 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 12 October 2015 7:26 PM ]

Met police officers have been outside the Ecuadorian embassy in central London for the past 28 months. (AFP)

The Metropolitan police has announced that it will end its 24-hour surveillance of the Ecuadorean embassy in London where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been living for the past 28 months.

Scotland Yard announced that it has decided to withdraw the physical presence of officers outside the embassy as it is “no longer proportionate.”

“The operation to arrest Julian Assange does, however, continue and should he leave the Embassy the [Metropolitan police] will make every effort to arrest him,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Monday.

The British police will instead use “overt and covert tactics” to detain Assange.

“The MPS will not discuss what form its continuing operation will take or the resourcing implications surrounding it…Whilst no tactics guarantee success in the event of Julian Assange leaving the embassy, the MPS will deploy a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him,” the statement said.

Back in June 2012, Assange sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in an effort to avert extradition to Sweden.

The WikiLeaks founder faces rape and sexual assault allegations.

According to figures published earlier this year, the 24 hour guarding of the embassy has already cost the Metropolitan Police more than £11 million.

Now, Scotland Yard says it was “no longer proportionate to commit officers to a permanent presence”.

'New approach'

Director of Center for Syncretic Studies says this could a type of new trap to lure Assange out of the embassy.

“They are trying to find a new approach to get him out of the Ecuadorian embassy… We may expect even for a special force squad to actually violate the sovereign territory of Ecuador to try to kidnap him. Another possibility is that by pulling away the regular patrol, they try to lure him out,” Joaquin Flores told Press TV on Monday.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk