Five highlights from Julian Assange’s conference call

The WikiLeaks founder demanded the U.S. drop a four-year investigation into his work

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AP
AP

Julian Assange has spent two years as a resident of Ecuador’s embassy in London. The WikiLeaks founder, who faces sexual misconduct allegations in Sweden, claims British authorities refuse to grant his asylum request to Ecuador. For now, he remains holed up in the embassy. British authorities monitor the building around the clock. If he were to leave the premises, Assange fears extradition to the United States, where the Department of Justice has mounted a four-year investigation into WikiLeaks’s work.

Today, Assange held a conference call from the embassy. He demanded that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder drop the ongoing probe into WikiLeaks, and defended his apparent openness to Swedish prosecutors, whom he says he’s invited to the embassy. The call included a heated exchange with Channel 4’s Cathy Newman and, of course, Assange’s World Cup picks.

1. He called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to drop an ongoing investigation—or resign.

2. He asked President Barack Obama to consider his legacy.

3. He bemoaned the state of the British press.

…and his lawyer, Michael Ratner, stepped in.

4. He showed concern for his visitors’ treatment outside of the Ecuadorian embassy.

5. He made World Cup picks that aren’t at all surprising.