- The United States has requested the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, after he was arrested at the Ecuadorean embassy in London. The Metropolitan police said the arrest was made on behalf of the US authorities.
- Police were videoed forcibly removing Assange, from the Ecuadorian embassy, at around at around 10.50am. Police had been invited into the embassy by the Ecuadorian embassy where Assange had take refuge for almost seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation.
- Assange is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court later on Thursday. He was being held on a warrant issued by the court when he skipped bail in 2012.
- The president of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno said he secured guarantees from the UK that Assange would not face the death penalty or torture. Justifying the move handing him over to the British police, Moreno said: “In a sovereign decision Ecuador withdrew the asylum status to Julian Assange after his repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life- protocols.”
- Elisabeth Massi Fritz, a lawyer for one of the two women who accused Assange, welcomed the arrest. The Swedish prosecution authority is expected to issue a statement later.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow hoped that Assange’s rights would not be violated. A spokeswoman for the foreign ministry accused the UK of strangling freedom.
- The arrest was welcomed by the UK government. Foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, thanked Ecuador. “Julian Assange is no hero and no-one is above the law. He has hidden from the truth for years.” Home secretary Sajid Javid is due to update parliament later on Thursday.
- Assange’s supporters have condemned the arrest. Rafael Correa, who was Ecuadorian president when Assange was granted asylum, accused his successor of treachery.
Amer Hamed Suliman
"All roads lead to Rome," they used to say "All roads lead to the US" would be more like it today.
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