Assange denies seeking asylum in France

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has not filed any request for asylum in France, his legal defence team says, following a statement from the Elysee Palace that such a request had been declined.

Defence team director Baltasar Garzon said in a statement on Friday that an open letter written by Assange to French President Francois Hollande had only expressed his willingness "to be hosted in France if and only if an initiative was taken by the competent authorities".

Earlier the Elysee Palace said in a statement it could not "act on the request", adding that Assange was not in immediate danger and there was a European arrest warrant out on him.

The Australian hacker has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 19, 2012.