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Assange asylum bid takes dramatic turn

Ecuador says it wants to grant asylum to Julian Assange, but the British government has refused to guarantee safe passage for the WikiLeaks founder.

Mr Assange has been holed up in the embassy for weeks as Ecuadorian officials assess his asylum application.

The WikiLeaks founder fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London weeks ago after exhausting all avenues of appeal in his fight against extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges.

British authorities have reportedly threatened to storm the Ecuadorian embassy in London if Mr Assange is granted asylum.

In a press conference this morning, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said the country wanted to grant asylum, but could not do so until his safety was guaranteed.

"Today we've received a threat by the United Kingdom, a clear and written threat that they could storm our embassy in London if Ecuador refuses to hand in Julian Assange," he said.

Australian Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said this morning the matter is out of her hands.

"Our role in this is only a diplomatic one, to make sure Assange has support that he needs for consular issues. It's not something we have any legal role that we can play," she told Sunrise.

Mr Assange fears that extradition to Sweden will be the first step in a process to get him to the United States to face unknown charges related to the WikiLeaks website.