Assange may be ready to take first steps into a different world

Bloomberg

Julian Assange soon will leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London—his refuge from criminal charges for the last six years—and enter a changed world.
The Australian walked into the building in the capital’s Knightsbridge neighbourhood just before the 2012 Olympics, with Barack Obama in his first term and elections untainted by alleged interference by Russian agents. When he walks out, Assange will face a new more aggressive American president, a UK trying to find its role outside the European Union and a change in Ecuadorian leadership. The 47-year-old may find the future uncertain.
The WikiLeaks founder’s health has declined recently, and he’s expected to leave his self-imposed isolation in the embassy in the coming weeks, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
He sought refuge there to avoid Swedish allegations and the prospect of being extradited to the US to face sanctions for publishing secret government communications.
His continued freedom outside the embassy is far from guaranteed. He still faces
arrest for skipping bail in London, and while American prosecutors haven’t announced charges against him, the risk is significant.
Assange has been all but cut off from the outside world in the embassy, just yards from department store Harrods, and diplomatic efforts to negotiate an exit have redoubled in recent months as concerns about his deteriorating health have increased and Ecuador’s patience has finally run out.

Limited Options
His options are limited, whether it’s a hospital visit, trying to flee the UK entirely or staying to fight his arrest warrant all the way to the Supreme Court. Just 1,850 people signed a petition on the New Zealand Parliament’s website calling for Assange to be granted permanent political asylum. Throw in the prospect of criminal charges for hacking in Ecuador, one thing is for certain it’s not going to be simple.
Assange and WikiLeaks became notorious over the past decade for releasing millions
of confidential documents between US agencies and their foreign counterparts. The website put itself at the centre of the last American presidential race by publishing hacked emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service, declined to comment beyond saying that the warrant against Assange is still valid. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a lawyer for Assange didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Assange’s supporters follow him with a fervor bordering on the messianic, holding him up as a champion of free speech and transparency who has uncovered multiple abuses of power. His critics say he should be punished for needlessly putting the lives of soldiers and diplomats at risk by publishing the confidential government cables.
In February, a London judge said Assange lacked “courage” and denied his attempt to overturn a British arrest warrant for failing to turn up an extradition hearing. His attorneys argued that the charge should be dropped since Swedish authorities closed the assault case when he failed to return to the Scandinavian country.