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Julian Assange marks 2nd year in Ecuador’s embassy

Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hold a vigil outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to mark his two years in refuge at the embassy, Thursday, June 19, 2014. Julian Assange entered the embassy in June 2012 to gain political asylum to prevent him from being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sex crimes, which he denies.(AP Photo/Sang Tan) Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hold a vigil outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to mark his two years in refuge at the embassy, Thursday, June 19, 2014. Julian Assange entered the embassy in June 2012 to gain political asylum to prevent him from being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sex crimes, which he denies.(AP Photo/Sang Tan)

By Associated Press June 19, 2014 1 min read

LONDON (AP) – Julian Assange is marking the second anniversary of his stay in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, saying he has no intention of returning to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual misconduct.

As supporters chanted slogans outside the embassy, Assange maintained he didn’t want to go to Sweden because he had no guarantee he wouldn’t subsequently be sent to the United States, where an investigation into WikiLeaks’ dissemination of hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. documents remains live.

Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said Thursday Assange can stay at the embassy “for as long as necessary” and there would be no attempt to force him back to Sweden.

Assange fled to the cramped building in 2012 after losing his battle against extradition to Sweden in Britain’s highest court.