US Edition The WikiLeaks founder was granted political asylum by the Latin Americans after its ministers agreed he was facing persecution and the possible death penalty in America. But he remains holed up in the embassy in Knightsbridge, surrounded by police who want to arrest him for breaching his bail conditions.
Last night WikiLeaks said he would give a "live" statement "in front of" the embassy on Sunday, two months since he entered it. He could be seized if it is deemed he has stepped outside the building's diplomatically protected zone.
William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said the maverick Australian would not be allowed to fly to his newly adopted country and must instead answer rape allegations in Sweden.
It sets the scene for a diplomatic stalemate between London, which said it was “disappointed” by the long-awaited decision, and Quito, which has accused Britain of threatening to storm the building to seize Mr Assange.
The saga has already been going on for almost exactly two years, since Mr Assange was accused of raping and sexually assaulting two women on a visit to Sweden where he was promoting his whistle-blowing website.
He was arrested in London in December 2010 but fought extradition to Sweden all the way to the Supreme Court, fearing it was a pretext for him to be sent to the US where the authorities were incensed by his release of thousands of confidential diplomatic cables.
After Britain’s highest court rejected his last appeal in June, Mr Assange walked into Ecuador’s embassy in London and applied for political asylum. When he refused to come out, he broke his bail terms and so became liable for arrest.
Nearly two months on, on Thursday the Ecuadorian government finally announced that it had agreed to give him asylum because of his fears of persecution over the secret files his whistle-blowing organisation has revealed, which he believes could see him sent to face an unfair trial in America.
There was applause as the foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, made the declaration that Mr Assange had been given “diplomatic asylum” at a press conference in the capital, Quito.
“We believe that his fears are legitimate and there are the threats that he could face political persecution.
“We trust that that the UK will offer as soon as possible the guarantee for the safe passage of asylum for Mr Assange and they will respect those international agreements they have signed in the past.”
But in a statement at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office later in the day, Mr Hague, the Foreign Secretary, ruled this out.
He said: “We are disappointed by the statement by Ecuador’s Foreign Minister today that Ecuador has offered political asylum to Julian Assange.
“Under our law, with Mr Assange having exhausted all options of appeal, the British authorities are under a binding obligation to extradite him to Sweden. We must carry out that obligation and of course we fully intend to do so.
“We will not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the UK, nor is there any legal basis for us to do so.”
He insisted: “It is important to understand that this is not about Mr Assange’s activities at Wikileaks or the attitude of the United States of America. He is wanted in Sweden to answer allegations of serious sexual offences.”
The previous night, the British authorities stepped up the police presence around the embassy and warned Ecuador they could use a rarely-cited law to withdraw the embassy’s diplomatic protection.
This would allow officers to go inside and arrest Mr Assange, a move condemned as “complete intimidation” by Ecuadorian officials.
Ecuador claimed Britain had threatened to “storm” the building, which would have “significant implications” for countries around the world.
In a separate statement, WikiLeaks condemned the “menacing show of force” by police and said any transgression against the “sanctity” of the embassy would be a “shameful act”.
Mr Assange himself said: “I am grateful to the Ecuadorean people, President Rafael Correa and his government. It was not Britain or my home country, Australia, that stood up to protect me from persecution, but a courageous, independent Latin American nation.
“While today is a historic victory, our struggles have just begun. The unprecedented US investigation against WikiLeaks must be stopped.”
Vaughan Smith, who posted bail for Assange and previously offered him sanctuary at his home, Ellingham Hall, in Norfolk, said he was "delighted" with Ecuador's decision "I think it's fantastic," he said. "I can't believe we're really going to enter the embassy (and arrest him). I think that would be disproportionate.
"Maybe now is a good time to reflect and get used to the idea that someone has got political asylum in London.”
A loud cheer rang out from the crowd of noisy supporters who had been gathered outside the embassy all morning to await the decision.
Ecuadorians marched up and down the street chanting "hands off Ecuador", "there's only one decision - no extradition", and "Julian Assange, freedom fighter."
Police lining the street looked on as one supporter shouted into a microphone: "We call on the British Government to do the decent thing. Stop the extradition proceedings against Julian Assange.
"Stop trying to bully everyone. "We agree with the decision of the Ecuadorian government. Ecuador is not a British colony."