Ecuador 'orders Julian Assange to keep their embassy's bathroom clean and take good care of his cat - and warns he'll have to pay for his own food in leaked memo'

  • Ecuador issued Assange with several demands which have been leaked online 
  • Assange must avoid of topics which harm the country's diplomatic interests 
  • The nine-page memo published by Ecuadorean website Codigo Vidrio 

By Associated Press and Charlie Moore For Mailonline

Published: 14:52 EDT, 15 October 2018 | Updated: 09:27 EDT, 16 October 2018

Ecuador has ordered Julian Assange to keep its London embassy's bathroom clean and take good care of his cat or it will be confiscated.

The demands are among a comprehensive list of orders from Ecuadorian officials which was leaked online on Monday.

The document formally orders Assange to steer clear of topics that could harm its diplomatic interests - but reveals that his WiFi has been restored, something which will delight supporters of his website WikiLeaks. 

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2017

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2017

Assange's cat wearing a collar and tie looks out of the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London

Assange's cat wearing a collar and tie looks out of the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London

The document also states that Assange must tell officials the serial number and model of all his devices and will have to pay for his own medical evaluations and food.

Embassy staff said he can use no 'communication equipment' except his computer and mobile phone and reserved the right to seize his equipment.

He will only be allowed three visitors at once, the document says, adding that they will have to get written permission from the ambassador at least three days in advance. 

Assange's cat can often be seen at the embassy's windows and has its own Twitter account which states it is interested in 'counter-purrveilance'. 

The nine-page memo published by Ecuadorean website Codigo Vidrio said Assange is prohibited from 'interfering in the internal affairs of other states' or from activities 'that could prejudice Ecuador's good relations with other states.'

Codigo Vidrio has a track record of publishing inside material from the London embassy, and the restrictions detailed in the memo echo the conditions Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno recently described in an interview.

Assange's lawyers reject the new rules, in place since Saturday, saying they 'violate international agreements' and 'a prison regime is being imposed on him.'

Tension has been long building between Assange and his hosts, particularly after the Australian ex-hacker began cheering on Catalonian secessionists in Spain last year. 

In March, Ecuador announced it was restricting Assange's access to the internet.

Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy (pictured) in London since 2012

Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy (pictured) in London since 2012

Assange has been holed up the in Ecuadorian embassy for six years, fearing if he leaves he will be arrested by UK police for breaking bail conditions.  

Last month it was reported that in December 2017 Assange was given a diplomatic role as a councillor in Ecuador's embassy to Russia.

Assange was 'given a role at Ecuador embassy in Moscow'

In December 2017 Assange was given a diplomatic role as a councillor in Ecuador's embassy to Russia, sources told The Guardian.

The move was part of an aborted Russian plan to get him out of the UK.

The alleged plot involved smuggling the WikiLeaks founder in a diplomatic vehicle from the Ecuadorian embassy and moving him to another country by boat or plane.

The extraction was scheduled for Christmas Eve 2017 and was to be overseen by the head of Ecuador's intelligence agency who arrived in London on 15 December, it was claimed.

 But the British government refused to give him diplomatic status so the plan was cancelled.

The move was part of a Russian plan to get him out of the UK - but the British government refused to give him diplomatic status and the plot was aborted, reported The Guardian. 

In March Assange fuelled suspicious that he was in league with the Russians by tweeting that he doubted the Novichok assassination attempts in Salisbury were carried out by Russia.

In response, the centrist Ecuadorian President, Lenin Moreno, cut off his access to the internet. 

Moreno on Wednesday said that he was negotiating with Britain to find a way for Assange to leave the embassy without being arrested. 

Assange initially went into the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden on sex assault allegations.

The charges have been dropped but Assange fears he will be arrested by UK police for breaking bail conditions by entering the embassy in the first place. 

He fears he could then be extradited to the US, where high-level officials have spoken about prosecuting him for stealing classified information. 

Moreno said his country will work for Assange's safety and the preservation of his human rights as it seeks a way for him to leave the embassy.

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Ecuador 'orders Julian Assange to keep their embassy's bathroom clean

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