The 47-year-old WikLeaks co-founder Julian Assange was arrested in London last month for skipping bail in 2012 over fears of being extradited to Sweden on charges of rape and sexual assault.
To avoid extradition, he sought asylum from Ecuador’s embassy in the UK capital, and was welcomed by the country’s then president Rafael Correa.
But increased tensions with Correa’s successor Lenin Moreno, who said Assange was “discourteous and aggressive” during his seven-year tenure inside the embassy, led to his asylum being withdrawn.
Assange is also wanted in the US over an investigation into WikiLeaks’ release of classified documents concerning the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said in April that the charge related specifically over conspiracy to commit computer intrusion “by cracking a password” with US whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who served 7 years in prison for the huge data leak.
A hearing on the US extradition request is due to be held. on Thursday.
Protesters gathered outside Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday as Assange awaited sentencing on the bail conviction.
Placards called for the release of the WikiLeaks co-founder, while others protested against his possible extradition to the US.