UN Panel Finds Assange Victim Of “Arbitrary” Detention

A U.N. advisory panel has concluded that Julian Assange, the controversial WikiLeaks founder, has been a victim of “arbitrary” detention at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London where he sought refuge in 2012. The assessment is different from the conclusion that Sweden, which has seen the report, has reached.

A finding in Assange’s favor would not be binding on Swedish or British authorities, which are seeking to arrest him. But, it would represent a public relations victory for the 44-yearold WikiLeaks chief and could increase pressure on Swedish prosecutors to drop their efforts to question him about allegations of sexual misconduct and on British officials’ to drop plan to arrest him for jumping bail.

ABC’s Tom Rivers joined us from London.