WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lost his internet access and visitor privileges Wednesday at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
In a statement from the Ecuadorian government, Assange is accused of breaching a written commitment signed at the end of 2017 concerning interference with other nations.
“The Government of Ecuador warns that the behavior of Assange, with its messages through social networks, puts at risk the good relations that the country maintains with the United Kingdom, with the rest of the States of the European Union and other nations,” a translated section of the announcement says.
COMUNICADO OFICIAL | El Gobierno de Ecuador suspende las comunicaciones de @JulianAssange. pic.twitter.com/sr4kArFSxw
— Comunicación Ecuador (@ComunicacionEc) March 28, 2018
The statement, which claims the action is intended to “prevent potential damage,” does not detail how long Assange’s privileges will be revoked.
“The Executive also maintains open the way to the adoption of new measures before the breach of the commitment by Assange,” the statement adds.
Neither WikiLeaks or Assange have commented on the incident thus far.
Ecuador took similar action by severing Assange’s internet access in 2016 after WikiLeaks began publishing documents related to the 2016 election.
“The Government of Ecuador respects the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states,” a statement at the time said. “It does not interfere in external electoral processes, nor does it favor any particular candidate.”
The Ecuadorian government, which granted Assange a passport in December of last year, has called on the international community to remediate the “untenable” situation.
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