WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Arrested After Ecuador Withdraws His Asylum
WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange was arrested Thursday in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Ecuador withdrew his asylum.
Assange, 47, had been living in the embassy for seven years beginning when Sweden tried to extradite him because of sexual assault allegations, reported BBC. That case has been dropped, but Assange has remained in the embassy to avoid being extradited to the U.S. or another country he has claimed wants to question him.
Here’s the moment WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was taken into custody at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London https://t.co/DnwQy9pU4a pic.twitter.com/qjuGs3mUjH
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) April 11, 2019
“I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the [United Kingdom],” UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted.
Nearly 7yrs after entering the Ecuadorean Embassy, I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK. I would like to thank Ecuador for its cooperation & @metpoliceuk for its professionalism. No one is above the law
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) April 11, 2019
Police in the UK said they arrested Assange for failing to surrender to the court, reported BBC.
Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno said the country terminated asylum for Assange due to repeated violations of international conventions, but Wikileaks claimed on Twitter that Ecuador was “in violation of international law” by essentially kicking out the Australian national.
URGENT: Ecuador has illigally terminated Assange political asylum in violation of international law. He was arrested by the British police inside the Ecuadorian embassy minutes ago.https://t.co/6Ukjh2rMKD
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 11, 2019
Ecuador’s government invited Scotland Yard to the embassy, the police force said according to BBC.
WikiLeaks has claimed that Assange was being spied on in the Ecuadorian embassy.
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