London: Maldives opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed has "done a Julian Assange", said WikiLeaks on Twitter after the former president took refuge at the Indian High Commission in Male.

"Former President Nasheed of the Maldives has `done a Julian Assange` and taken shelter inside the Indian High Commission in the Maldives," tweeted WikiLeaks.

Julian Assange sought refuge in Ecuador`s embassy in London in June 2012 in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces rape allegations.

Assange, who founded the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, fears that if he goes to Sweden to be questioned over rape allegations, Swedish authorities will allow him to be extradited to the US.

WikiLeaks has published thousands of US diplomatic cables on its website.

Mohamed Nasheed, who was forced to step down as the Maldives president last year, took refuge at the Indian High Commission in Male Tuesday after a court issued an arrest order for his failing to attend a hearing in the illegal detention of a judge.

IANS