The Ecuadorian government has reportedly spent millions on an operation to monitor Julian Assange and his visitors at its embassy in London.  The Ecuadorian government has spent millions of dollars as part of a spy operation on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and guests to the embassy he calls home.

Assange, facing extradition to Sweden for rape accusations, has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, though recently lost internet access for the second time as his hosts become increasingly annoyed. The embassy is also stopping what has been a stream of visitors, who the Guardian reported Tuesday were under surveillance as part of a more than $5 million operation.

Documents seen by the newspaper show leftist president Rafael Correa approved "Operation Guest" which became "Operation Hotel" and used CCTV cameras as well as a nearby apartment to monitor all activity at the building in tony Knightsbridge.

Write-ups about the activity reportedly included all Assange's interactions with staff, his guests and his changing moods, and a source told the Guardian that at one point the native Australian managed to breach the network of the embassy and intercept some of its communications.

Wikileaks said on Twitter Tuesday that the suggestion that Assange was able to "hack into" the embassy's system was libel and added that they would sue.

Ecuador had welcomed Assange in 2012 as he had gained fame for publishing the U.S. diplomatic cables leaked by Chelsea Manning.

Aliqismet BADALOV,
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