Two men walk out of the Embassy of Ecuador in London, carrying legal books about diplomatic law , in London Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Embattled WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange took refuge Tuesday in Ecuador’s embassy in London and is seeking political asylum, his organization and the South American nation’s foreign minister said. Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said the leftist government of President Rafael Correa was weighing the request. He did not indicate when a decision might be made. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
June 20, 2012 - 5:21 AM
LONDON - British authorities say WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is beyond their grasp as long as he is holed up in Ecuador's London embassy.
The Foreign Office said Wednesday that Assange is "beyond the reach of police." It said it was working with Ecuador to resolve the situation.
The 40-year-old Australian took refuge in the mission on Tuesday, and said he was seeking political asylum.
Ecuador says it is considering the request.
Assange has been fighting extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over two alleged sexual assaults.
He denies the allegations, and claims extradition could be a first step in efforts to remove him to the United States, where he claims to have been secretly indicted over his disclosure of 250,000 State Department cables.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012