Julian Assange is to launch legal action against the government of Ecuador, accusing it of violating his “fundamental rights and freedoms”, WikiLeaks has announced.

Assange has been living inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than six years, during which time relations between he and his hosts have significantly soured.

Assange first entered the building in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning about allegations of sex crimes, which he has always denied.

Sweden dropped the case against him last year, but he remains subject to arrest in the UK for jumping bail. 

He believes if he was to leave the building, it could result in extradition to the US to face charges over WikiLeaks’ leaking of military and diplomatic cables.

In a memo first published on Ecuadorian website Código Vidrio, it was revealed this week that the embassy allowed him to remain only on the condition he refrained from activity “considered as political or interfering with the internal affairs of other states”.

It also outlined basic housekeeping rules – namely that he should clean his own bathroom and take proper care of his pet cat.

On Sunday, the Press Association reported that Ecuador had partly restored Assange’s access to the internet, mobile phones and visits at the embassy, after cutting him off in March.