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Twitter is Mr Assange’s most public means of communication with the world outside London's Ecuadorian embassy – where he has been holed up for five years over fears he will be arrested the moment he sets foot out the door.

But the controversial figure’s account, @JulianAssange, mysteriously disappeared between 12-1am on Christmas morning.

Mr Assange’s last tweet was on the 22nd December, leaving no hint as to why the account may have been removed.

His last post was a notable quote from the man himself, which read: “A knowledgeable public, is an empowered public, is a free public."