The case of regular spying in the interests of US authorities may encourage the United Kingdom to refuse to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, lawyer Aitor Martinez, who coordinates Assange's defence in Spain, said. "The criminal investigation launched in Spain is very relevant because it shows that Mr. Assange and his lawyers were regularly spied on by the US authorities at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. This could lead to the United Kingdom's refusal to extradite him to a country where the minimum legal guarantees are not respected," the lawyer said.