Wikileaks is warning that its founder Julian Assange is going to be expelled from the Ecuadorian Embassy within "hours or days."

The group said it has been told about the decision by a "high level source" from the South American country.

The 47-year-old has been holed up in the London building after being granted political asylum there in June 2012.

It followed a British judge’s ruling that he should be extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations.

Sweden dropped the case in 2017.

Extradition

Mr Assange has remained at the embassy as he fears being extradited to the US to face charges over the WikiLeaks website's release of sensitive US government files.

Court documents that were mistakenly filed in the US last year appeared to confirm that Mr Assange has been charged in secret.

A Met Police arrest warrant is also still in force as he absconded after being released on bail in 2010.

It means that he is likely to face arrest as soon as he leaves the embassy compound.

Julian Assange’s cat Michi sits at the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy, 14-11-2016. Image: Yui Mok/PA Archive/PA Images

Expulsion

Late last night, Wikileaks said it believes Mr Assange will be expelled “within hours or days” – with the Ecuadorian Government having already negotiated an agreement with UK authorities for his arrest.

It said Ecuador was using Wikileaks’ Twitter announcement that it believes the Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno was being investigated for corruption as a pretext.

It said President Moreno was attempting to cover up activities related to his use of an offshore tax haven created by his brother, known as the INA Papers.

Mr Assange's lawyer has reportedly said he had nothing to do with the leak of the papers.

BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told @WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within "hours to days" using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext--and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.https://t.co/adnJph79wq

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 4, 2019

Assange

Ecuador's foreign ministry said in a statement that it "doesn't comment on rumours, theories or conjectures that don't have any documented backing."

In October, the Australian-born WikiLeaks founder had complained Ecuador was violating his "fundamental rights" and he was living in an "inhuman situation."

He took the claim to an Ecuadorian court but it was thrown out.