Ecuador 'will grant Assange asylum': report

LONDON: Ecuador President Rafael Correa was set to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Britain's Guardian newspaper said on its website Tuesday, quoting an official in Quito.

"We see Assange's request as a humanitarian issue," an unnamed official told the daily.

"It is clear that when Julian entered the embassy there was already some sort of deal," the official said.

"We see in his work a parallel with our struggle for national sovereignty and the democratisation of international relations."

Assange, 41, took refuge at the London embassy on June 19 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces police questioning over sexual assault allegations.

Correa said on Monday he expects to respond to Assange's application for political asylum later this week. (AFP)