WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been sheltering in London's Ecuadorian embassy since June 2012; Assange first sought asylum from British and Swedish authorities following accusations of rape during a visit to Sweden in 2010. However, in a ruling Friday, the U.N. Working Group of Arbitrary Detention decided that Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" by Britain and Sweden since 2010, and that he should be freed immediately and compensated for the years he has lost, The Associated Press reports.
The U.N. panel pointed out that Assange had never formally been charged by Sweden — he was only sought for the "preliminary investigation" — and called the European arrest warrant issued by Stockholm "disproportionate."
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