Julian Assange has internet access cut off by Ecuador government

Ecuador's government is cutting off WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's communications outside the nation's London embassy.

Officials announced on Wednesday they were taking the measure in response to Mr Assange's recent activity on social media.

As part of an agreement between Mr Assange and the Ecuadorean government, he is not permitted to send any messages that could interfere with the South American nation's relations with other countries.

Mr Assange has been living in Ecuador's embassy for more than five years.

Ecuador gave him asylum after he sought refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden for investigation of sex-related claims.

Sweden dropped the case, but Mr Assange remains subject to arrest in Britain for jumping bail.

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The move followed Mr Assange's recent social media activity decrying the arrest of a Catalonian separatist leader.

In a statement, officials said Mr Assange's recent posts "put at risk" the good relations Ecuador maintains with nations throughout Europe and had decided as of Tuesday to suspend his internet access "in order to prevent any potential harm".

Mr Assange has since gone silent on social media.

Relations between Mr Assange and his host nation have often grown prickly. Ecuador suspended his internet access in 2016 after a WikiLeaks dump targeting Hillary Clinton's US presidential campaign.

Ecuador's former president Rafael Correa hailed Mr Assange's work but the nation's current head of state has called him a hacker and warned him not to meddle in politics.