WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange while reacting to UN panel's arbitrary detention ruling said that he is relieved after five-and-half years of confinement.
Addressing live from Ecuadorian Embassy he said, "I have been detained without any charges for five and half years. It is found unlawful by UN working group. The UN decision is final and can’t be appealed."
"I consider the outcome in this case to be vindication. It is now the task of the states of Sweden and UK to implement the verdict. I would like to thank the UN for the ruling,' he said while adding that the victory came not just because of the situation but also due to a lot of hard work.
On February 4, 2016, a UN panel has ruled that Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" in the UK.
Assange, 44, was granted political asylum by Ecuador, which has housed him since 2012 at its central London embassy.
The whistleblower has said he is willing to surrender to British police if the UN panel finds that the three years he was holed up inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London does not amount to illegal detention.
In 2014, he had complained to the UN that he was being "arbitrarily detained" as he could not leave the embassy without being arrested by the British police.
The Australian national is wanted for questioning in Sweden over sex assault allegations against two women, which he denies.
WikiLeaks, founded by Assange in 2006, released 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 250,000 diplomatic cables enraging the United States. Assange fears being extradited to the US to be quizzed over the activities of WikiLeaks if he travels to Sweden.
The UN group does not have any formal influence over the British and Swedish authorities and the UK Foreign Office said it still had an obligation to extradite Assange.
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