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Julian Assange accused a "weak" Ecuador of starting to "lean on the United States and the UK for various kinds of support" last October - which he linked to the deteriorating conditions at the country's London embassy where he has been living for nearly seven years.

Assange made the comments during an October 29, 2018 court hearing requesting the restoration of his ability to communicate with the outside world.

On March 28 of last year, Ecuador virtually gagged Assange after the WikiLeaks founder challenged whether Russia was behind the poisoning of a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal - which Ecuador said had breached "a written commitment made to the government at the end of 2016 not to issue messages that might interfere with other states." Though Assange's privileges were eventually restored, he and his legal team sued the Ecuadorian government, and since then, the tensions have only escalated.

"I have been in this embassy without sunlight for six years and essentially isolated from most people for seven months and, including electronic communication, the telephone etc, from my young children," Assange said during the October 29 proceeding in front of an Ecuadorian court.

"It has … interfered with my ability to work, to make a living, and with my deeply held principles that I have fought for all my life, which is to uphold the right of freedom of expression, the right for people to know, the right of the freedom of the press and the right for everyone to participate in their society and the broader society," added Assange.

Assange noted that due to his isolation, he has been unable to defend himself against various accusations, which ave "resulted in a climate of libel and fake news that might be expected for someone who has been in the business of exposing very large and very powerful corrupt organisations or organisations that abuse human rights."

What's more, the WikiLeaks founder suggested that he is not safe in the embassy.

"I am an assassination risk. It's not a joke. It is a serious business," said Assange - who noted that "There have been attempts by people to get into this embassy through the windows at night. It appears that there may have even been an attempt last night, at 4:30am."

SOURCE: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-07/i-am-assassination-risk-julian-assange-and-ecuadors-attorney-general-face-leaked