World Bulletin / News Desk

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will mark six months holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London next Thursday with a public speech, the whistle-blowing website announced on Sunday.

WikiLeaks released a Twitter message reading: "London, Thursday December 20, 7PM: Julian Assange to address the crowd in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy, marking six months of his asylum."

Ecuador granted him asylum on August 16, but Britain has refused to grant him safe passage out of the country and he is now living in a single room in the embassy near Harrods in London's exclusive Knightsbridge district.

Assange, who says the Swedish allegations are linked to WikiLeaks' controversial release of secret files, made his last public appearance on the balcony of the embassy on August 19, where he was cheered by supporters.