Ecuador blocks internet access of Wikileaks’ Julian Assange

The internet access of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been blocked by his host, the government of Ecuador following complains by the U.S. and British governments which have sparred with Assange in the past for releasing sensitive material.

“We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange’s internet access Saturday, 5 pm GMT, shortly after publication of (Hillary) Clinton’s Goldman Sachs speeches (sic),” the statement from WikiLeaks said.

According to the anti-secrecy publication, Assange lost internet connectivity on Sunday night.

“We have activated the appropriate contingency plans,” added the Twitter message on Monday. People close to WikiLeaks say that Assange himself is the principal operator of the website’s Twitter feed.

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No reason was given for cutting Assange’s internet access but Ecuador’s foreign minister, Guillaume Long, said Assange remained under government protection.

“The circumstances that led to the granting of asylum remain,” Long said in a statement late on Monday.

Assange has lived and worked in Ecuador’s London embassy since June 2012, having been granted asylum there after a British court ordered him extradited to Sweden to face questioning in a sexual molestation case involving two female WikiLeaks supporters.

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