An Ecuadorian court revoked the citizenship of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, declaring that Assange lied on his naturalization application he submitted while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, CNN reports.
The internet provocateur sought asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012, attempting to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was charged with sexual misconduct relating to allegation made by two women. Sweden eventually dropped the investigation and Assange was evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy in 2019, with his hosts saying Assange was harassing embassy staff, riding scooters in the hallways and smearing feces on the walls. He is housed in a London jail cell for bail violation after a British judge turned down a US extradition request, citing Assange’s tenuous mental health.
In 2017, Assange was granted Ecuadorian citizenship by then-President Lenín Moreno. The court determined Assange, who also holds Australian citizenship, lied on his naturalization paperwork, thereby nullifying his Ecuadorian citizenship. Assange has provoke criticism from the Ecuadorian government for his support of Catalonian independence movement in Spain, worried that it threatens the country’s relations with Spain.