McClatchy News Service

Ecuador is close to withdrawing asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and evicting him from the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has been living for six years, journalist Glenn Greenwald reported Saturday.

Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno traveled to Britain Friday to meet with officials to finalize a deal under which protection for Assange will be withdrawn and he will be turned over to British authorities, Greenwald wrote on his website The Intercept.

The Australian national has resided in Ecuador’s London embassy since 2012, after he breached bail in relation to sexual assault allegations he faced in Sweden. He cannot be arrested inside the embassy.

Sweden has since dropped its case against him, but Assange believes he will be extradited to the U.S. for questioning over WikiLeaks activities if he leaves the building.

Greenwald is best-known for publishing whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about the US National Security Agency.