Alexandra Ma, Business Insider
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had been living since June 2012
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Thursday morning.
There has been a warrant issued for him since June 2012, but he has been able to avoid arrest because Ecuador granted him asylum and housed him in its London embassy.
He could face an extradition request from the US over WikiLeaks’ involvement in publishing sensitive US military documents from Chelsea Manning in 2010, and Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 presidential elections.
Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, was arrested by British police at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Thursday morning.
The London Metropolitan Police’s arrest comes after Ecuador revoked his asylum. The Latin American country confirmed the withdrawal in a video posted on Twitter.
The Ecuadorian ambassador “invited British police into the embassy,” where they arrested him, Wikileaks tweeted.
URGENT
Julian Assange did not “walk out of the embassy”. The Ecuadorian ambassador invited British police into the embassy and he was immediately arrested.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 11, 2019
There has been a warrant issued for Assange since June 29, 2012, for failing to appear in court to face charges of sexual misconduct in Sweden, which he denies.
Though Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation against him in 2017, he also faced arrest for breaching former bail conditions in the UK.
But Assange had been able to avoid arrest because Ecuador granted him asylum in June 2012. He has been living in its embassy in west London since then.
WikiLeaks reported last week that a “high level source within the Ecuadorian state” had said that Assange would be expelled within “hours to days,” and that it had already agreed to let the UK arrest Assange.
He could now face an extradition request from the US over WikiLeaks’ involvement in releasing sensitive military documents from US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning in 2010 and leaking Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 presidential elections.
Assange is currently in custody at a central London police station and will be taken to Westminster Magistrates’ Court “as soon as is possible,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Sajid Javid, the British home secretary, also confirmed news of Assange’s arrest in a tweet, adding: “No one is above the law.”
More to follow.