Russian embassy rejects allegations about plans to help Assange escape from UK

The Russian embassy in London has rejected allegations by the British media that Russia planned to help WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange escape from the UK.

"Another example of disinformation and fake news by British media," the embassy said on Twitter, commenting on a publication in the Guardian, which claimed that "Russian diplomats held secret talks in London last year with people close to Julian Assange to assess whether they could help him flee the UK."

"A tentative plan was devised that would have seen the WikiLeaks founder smuggled out of Ecuador’s London embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and transported to another country. One ultimate destination, multiple sources have said, was Russia, where Assange would not be at risk of extradition to the US. The plan was abandoned after it was deemed too risky," the Guardian alleged.

In 2012, Assange sought refuge in London's Ecuadorian Embassy to escape extradition to Sweden, which had issued a warrant for his arrest on sexual harassment and rape charges. Assange dismissed the accusations as politically motivated. His worst fear is Sweden might deport him to the United States, where he would face 35 years in prison or capital punishment for publishing classified State Department documents. Since then, Assange has remained on the premises of the Ecuadoran embassy.