The 40 year-old Australian made the dramatic move after he lost a long-running legal bid to halt his extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crime allegations.
In a letter sent to Ecuador’s government, Mr Assange said the Australian government had “effectively abandoned” him and was “ignoring the obligation to protect its citizen, who is persecuted politically”.
His move to claim asylum is the latest twist in a marathon legal battle played out in the glare of worldwide publicity.
On Tuesday night, he walked into the embassy, in London’s Knightsbridge district, and asked for asylum under the United Nations Human Rights Declaration.
Officials from the South American nation are considering his request. It comes after Ecuador offered Mr Assange residency in the country in November 2010.
Would not surprise me if he gets it.
