WikiLeaks' Assange arrested by UK police at Ecuadorian Embassy

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Europe

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police on Thursday after they were invited into the Ecuadorean embassy where he has been holed up since 2012.

"Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador," police said.

Police said they arrested Assange after being "invited into the embassy by the ambassador, following the Ecuadorean government's withdrawal of asylum."

Assange was taken into custody at a central London police station and he will be brought before Westminster Magistrates' Court, police said.

Ecuador: Assange violates terms of his asylum

Assange's relationship with his hosts broke after Ecuador accused him of leaking information about President Lenin Moreno's personal life. Moreno had previously said Assange has violated the terms of his asylum.

Moreno said that he had asked Britain to guarantee that Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face torture or the death penalty.

"The British government has confirmed it in writing, in accordance with its own rules," Moreno said.

Assange's Ecuadorean citizenship has been suspended, the Andean country's foreign minister said on Thursday, after Ecuador terminated his asylum in its London embassy.

There are "innumerable irregularities in the concession of that nationality," Foreign Minister Jose Valencia said.

"For that reason, the ministry decided to formally nullify it," Valencia added.

Assange and WikiLeaks have intervened in Ecuadorean affairs and people close to him, including two Russian hackers, are living in Ecuador, the interior minister told journalists.

U.S. seeks extradition of Assange

The U.S. has requested the extradition of Assange, British police said, after they arrested him at the Ecuadorean embassy in London on Thursday.

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Assange has today been further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities, at 10:53hrs after his arrival at a central London police station," the police said.

"This is an extradition warrant under Section 73 of the Extradition Act. He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court as soon as possible."

U.S. Justice Department said charges against Assange relates to alleged attempt to break password for classified U.S. government computer.

UK: Won't send Assange to U.S. if he faces death penalty

Britain will not extradite Assange to the U.S. if he faces the possibility of the death penalty there, junior foreign minister Alan Duncan said on Thursday after Assange was arrested in London.

"It is our broad policy in all circumstances, so it equally applies to Julian Assange, that he will not be extradited if he is going to face the death penalty. So that will apply to him," Duncan told Sky News.

UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said Assange case will be decided by the British Legal System which is independent.

UN rights expert seeks access to Assange, evidence

A UN human rights expert will ask Britain to let him meet the Wikileaks founder to assess his claims that his privacy has been violated.

Joe Cannataci, UN special rapporteur on the right to privacy, also said in a statement he planned to ask a Spanish magistrate for access to what he called "fresh new evidence of violations of Mr. Assange's privacy" that he may have.

Swedish prosecutor: Following developments as Assange arrested

The Swedish Prosecution Authority Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren said in a statement on Thursday that they were following developments after Assange's arrest in London but that it had yet to take stock of the information.

The Authority said any preliminary investigation could be reopened as long as the suspected crime had not passed the statute of limitations, adding the alleged offense in the dropped Assange investigation would expire in August 2020.

Russia: Hope Assange's rights not violated

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, answering a question about the arrest of the WikiLeaks founder in London, said Moscow hopes that his rights will not be violated.

WikiLeaks: Ecuador's termination violates international law

WikiLeaks said Ecuador had illegally terminated Assange's political asylum in violation of international law.

The life of Assange will be in danger if he is extradited to the U.S., his lawyer in Quito said on Thursday following Assange's arrest in London.

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency