A United Nations working group is believed to have decided that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being unlawfully detained.

The ruling was expected to be released about midday on Friday British time (11pm AEDT) but it is understood the group has ruled in Assange’s favour.

It is expected the move will lead to calls from the UN for the UK and Sweden to release the Australian.

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Earlier today, Assange said that if the UN ruled against him, he would accept arrest.

In a tweet posted today, he said: “I will accept arrest by British police on Friday if UN rules against me.”

British police say they still plan to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if he leaves the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.

Police said Thursday that earlier announced plans to take Assange into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant were still in place.

That announcement was made in October when police removed the round-the-clock guard at the embassy, but said overt and covert means would still be used against Assange.

Assange: I will accept arrest by British police on Friday if UN rules against me. More info: https://t.co/Mb6gXlz7QS pic.twitter.com/mffVsqKj5w — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016

Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than three years and was granted political asylum by the Ecuador government in 2012.

He filed a complaint against Sweden and the UK in September 2014 which has been considered by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

The group of legal experts has made previous rulings on whether imprisonment or detention is lawful, which have led to people being released.

According to the website justice4assange.com, the 44-year-old Australian has so far spent 1885 days “under house arrest”.

He was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant in 2010 to answer “serious criminal allegations” in Sweden and after a legal battle his extradition was granted by the Supreme Court in May 2012.

Assange was subject to arrest under British law when he failed to surrender for transfer to Sweden on June 29, 2012 after entering the Ecuadorean embassy.

The building in Knightsbridge, one of London’s most affluent areas, is a short distance from Harrods department store and was put under round-the-clock supervision by Scotland Yard until October, when they removed their officers.

The embassy building remains under covert surveillance.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The operation to arrest Julian Assange does however continue and should he leave the embassy the MPS will make every effort to arrest him.” Sources at WikiLeaks said they were waiting for a formal announcement from the UN group.

AAP

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