Julian Assange given feline ultimatum by Ecuador
Julian Assange given feline ultimatum by Ecuador
ReutersThe cat can often be seen peering out of the embassy's windowsWikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been given a set of house rules at the Ecuadorean embassy in London that include cleaning his bathroom and taking better care of his cat. The whistle-blower was sent a memo in which he was warned that his feline companion could be confiscated.He was also told to look after its "well-being, food and hygiene" in the set of guidelines, written in Spanish.Ecuador also said it would partially restore his internet connection.Mr Assange, who has been holed up at the embassy since 2012, had his online access cut in March this year after "interfering in other countries' affairs", Ecuador said.Assange: Campaigner or attention-seeker?Key dates: Assange in the Ecuadorean embassyIn a set of guidelines presented to Mr Assange this month, Ecuador warned the 47-year-old to provide better care of the feline that he shares the embassy with or it may be handed to a refuge.ReutersThe cat is said to be "interested in counter-purrveillance"The cat - which was given to Mr Assange by his children - often appears at the embassy window to watch the journalists gathered outside. The cat also has its own Twitter feed, which says it is "interested in counter-purrveillance".It is unclear what is behind Ecuador's concern over Mr Assange's treatment of his roommate. Mr Assange has remained at the embassy after seeking asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation. He alleges that the accusations were politically motivated and could lead to him being extradited to the US over the publication of secret US military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010. Sweden later dropped its investigation.You might also like:US embassy apologises for Cookie Monster cat emailBureaucats: The felines with official positionsMan refuses to give up lions on terraceCorrection 17 October 2018: This article has been amended after incorrectly attributing a tweet to Julian Assange.