Assange given citizenship

ECUADOR has given citizenship to Julian Assange as part of its efforts to allow the WikiLeaks founder to leave the country’s London embassy where he has been holed up for more than five years.

Ecuador made the move hours after the British government refused a request from the South American nation for Assange to be given diplomatic status, which could give him immunity from arrest should he try to leave the embassy.

Assange was granted asylum by Equador in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations. Assange’s US lawyer Barry Pollack had no comment.