Ecuador's president says Julian Assange can stay in embassy 'with conditions'

Assange must follow rules and avoid talking politics on Twitter – otherwise Lenín Moreno says he will ‘take a decision’

The Guardian - Dan Collyns 01/06/2018

Moreno has repeatedly hinted that he wants to remove Julian Assange from the country’s London embassy. Photo: The Guardian

Lenín Moreno, the president of Ecuador, has said Julian Assange’s asylum status in the country’s London embassy is not under threat – provided he complies with the conditions of his stay and avoids voicing his political opinions on Twitter.

However, in an interview with Deutsche Welle on Wednesday, Moreno said his government would “take a decision” if Assange didn’t comply with the restrictions.

“Let’s not forget the conditions of his asylum prevent him from speaking about politics or intervening in the politics of other countries. That’s why we cut his communication,” he said. Ecuador suspended Assange’s communication’s system in March.

Over more than five years, Ecuador put at least $5m (£3.7m) into a secret intelligence budget that protected him while he had visits from Nigel Farage, members of European nationalist groups and individuals linked to the Kremlin.