Is WikiLeaks' Assange Ill Or Not?

WikiLeaks' controversial founder and digital activist Julian Assange said that he would "soon" be leaving the Ecuadorian embassy in London, which has been his refuge from judicial allegatiions of rape for over two years.

In a statement typical of the enigmatic Australian that has raised more questions than answers, however, in his press conference there this morning he didn't clarify as to exactly when he might be leaving - but did add that it was "probably not" for the reasons reported in UK newspapers.

This refers to widespread rumours that Assange is suffering from heart and lung problems that require hospital treatment.

"As you can imagine, being detained in various ways in this country without charge for four years and in this embassy for two years which has no outside area, therefore no sunlight is an environment in which any healthy person would find themselves soon enough with certain difficulties they would have to manage," he told the British press today.

Assange appeared alongside the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, who spoke of "two years of great uncertainty and a lack of legal protection."

He added: "It is time to free Julian Assange. It is time for his human rights to finally be respected."

Political Asylum

The 43-year-old Australian was first placed under investigation by American authorities in 2010 after WikiLeaks garnered headlines round the world after it published leaked military and diplomatic documents.

He also faces allegations of sexual assault in Sweden involving two different women, with an arrest warrant still in place since he was granted political asylum in 2012.