Diplomats Suggested Julian Assange Wear Fancy Dress For Embassy Escape

Diplomats at the Ecuadorian embassy, where Julian Assange has been holed up for over three years, drew up a number of elaborate plans for his escape, according to leaked documents.

The beleaguered WikiLeaks founder, who claimed asylum to avoid being extradited over rape and sexual assault allegations in Sweden, hasn’t left the building in Knightsbridge, London since 2012.

Now, documents seen by the Ecuadorian journalist Fernando Villavicencio, suggest that staff, who have allegedly become increasingly frustrated by the Australian’s presence, deliberated over his escape – even suggesting he try fancy dress.

“Assange could leave in fancy dress or try a discreet exit,” said one document.
“He can try to reach a nearby helipad across the rooftops, or he could get lost among the people in Harrods,” added another.

The Ecuadorian Embassy in London (Wikipedia/Nick Hider)

This month, Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation into two allegations against Assange – one of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion – having run out of time to question him.

The 44-year-old still faces the more serious accusation of rape. He denies all allegations.

According to The Telegraph, the leaked documents also reveal that staff at the embassy were concerned about Mr Assange’s behaviour, believing it was causing stress to those around him, “especially the personnel who work in the embassy, mainly women”.

Mr Assange and his lawyers claim that if he was forced to face charges in Sweden he would be subsequently extradited to the US and prosecuted for WikiLeaks’ huge diplomatic cables leak of 2010.

(Credit: Flickr/Cancillería del Ecuador)