Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should be allowed to walk free and be compensated for his "deprivation of liberty", a UN legal panel has found.
Mr Assange, 44, - who faces extradition to Sweden over a rape claim, which he denies - claimed asylum in London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012.
He has been arbitrarily detained since his arrest in 2010, the panel said.
The UK foreign secretary said the decision was "ridiculous", but Mr Assange hailed a "significant victory".
Speaking at a news conference via a video link from the embassy, he said the opinion of the panel was "vindication", adding: "The lawfulness of my detention is now a matter of settled law."
Mr Assange said it was a "really significant victory that has brought a smile to my face".
However, the UK Foreign Office said the report "changes nothing" and it will "formally contest the working group's opinion".
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Mr Assange was a "fugitive from justice", adding that he can come out "any time he chooses" but will still have to face justice in Sweden.
The Met Police said it will make "every effort" to arrest Mr Assange should he leave the embassy.
The government says the panel's ruling is not legally binding in the UK and a European Arrest Warrant remains in place - meaning the UK continues to have
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