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| Julian Assange 'further arrested' on behalf of the US after extradition request, police say – live updates | Julian Assange 'further arrested' on behalf of the US after extradition request, police say – live updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Home Office has confirmed the US request for Assange’s extradition is for an alleged “computer-related offence”. | |
| A Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Julian Assange was arrested in relation to a provisional extradition request from the United States of America. | |
| “He is accused in the United States of America computer-related offences.” | |
| Pablo Iglesias, the leader of the Spanish anti-austerity Podemos party, has called for Assange to be released. | |
| “Exploitation, injustice and the privileges of the powerful are only possible because they are built on lies,” he tweeted. “That’s why if there’s something that power fears – in Spain and elsewhere in the world – it’s the truth. Free Julian Assange.” | |
| Two members of Podemos met Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2016. A spokesman for the party told the Guardian it had been an informal visit, during which they had discussed “protecting whistleblowers, freedom of expression and information in Europe, and democracy on the internet”. | |
| The former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium after leading the region’s failed bid to secede from Spain in autumn 2017, also offered Assange his support. | |
| “I am deeply shocked by the arrest of Julian Assange in London,” he tweeted. “Human rights, and especially freedom of expression, are under attack once again in Europe.” | |
| Puigdemont offered Assange “all my support and solidarity” and called on the EU to protect “fundamental rights”. | |
| Assange’s pronouncements on the Catalan independence crisis annoyed the then Spanish government, which conveyed its displeasure to the authorities in Quito. | |
| In November 2017, Assange hosted two supporters of the Catalan independence movement. | |
| The WikiLeaks founder said he supported the right to “self-determination” and was a vocal critic of the Spanish government’s handling of the independence issue. | |
| He described the Catalan independence movement as “the re-definition of the relationship between people and state”, and “the most disciplined Gandhian project since Gandhi”. | |
| The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has issued a longer statement on Assange’s arrest. | |
| He said: | |
| “What we’ve shown today is that no one is above the law. Julian Assange is no hero. He has hidden from the truth for years and years and it is right that his future should be decided in the British judicial system. What’s happened today is the result of years of careful diplomacy by the Foreign Office and I commend particularly our ambassador in Ecuador and Sir Alan Duncan and his team here in London for their work. But it is also a very courageous decision from President Moreno in Ecuador to resolve this situation that has been going on for nearly seven years. I mean it’s not so much Julian Assange being held hostage in the Ecuadorian Embassy, it’s actually Julian Assange holding the Ecuadorian Embassy hostage in a situation that was absolutely intolerable for them. So this will now be decided properly, independently by the British legal system respected throughout the world for its independence and integrity and that is the right outcome. | |
| “We have been talking to Ecuador for a very long time about how to resolve this situation. We are a law-abiding country and we will always uphold the law so we have to follow all the international rules in a situation like this. But there was a change of leadership in Ecuador. President Moreno took a courageous decision, which has meant we were able to resolve the situation today. We’re not making any judgment about Julian Assange’s innocence or guilt, that is for the courts to decide. But what is not acceptable is for someone to escape facing justice and he has tried to do that for a very long time and that is why he is no hero.” | |
| The US embassy in London has this guide to extradition between the two countries, meant to dispel the controversy past attempts have led to. | |
| 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. The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, thanked Ecuador, saying: “Julian Assange is no hero and no one is above the law. He has hidden from the truth for years.” The 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. | |
| Sweden’s chief prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren, has issued this statement: “This is news to us too, so we have not been able to take a position on the information that is now available. We also do not know why he is under arrest. We are following the developments.” | |
| A preliminary investigation can be resumed as long as the suspected crime is not subject to a statute of limitation, the prosecutor added. In this case, the suspected crime of rape would be subject to a statute of limitation in mid-August 2020. | |
| The prosecutor declined to make any further comments. | The prosecutor declined to make any further comments. |
| Rafael Correa, who was Ecuadorian president when Assange was granted asylum, has condemned his successor’s decision. | |
| He tweeted that Lenin Moreno was the “greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history”. | He tweeted that Lenin Moreno was the “greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history”. |
| The greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history, Lenin Moreno, allowed the British police to enter our embassy in London to arrest Assange.Moreno is a corrupt man, but what he has done is a crime that humanity will never forget. https://t.co/XhT51MA6c6 | The greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history, Lenin Moreno, allowed the British police to enter our embassy in London to arrest Assange.Moreno is a corrupt man, but what he has done is a crime that humanity will never forget. https://t.co/XhT51MA6c6 |
| Scotland Yard has confirmed that Assange was arrested on behalf of the US after receiving a request for his extradition. | Scotland Yard has confirmed that Assange was arrested on behalf of the US after receiving a request for his extradition. |
| In a statement it said: | In a statement it said: |
| Julian Assange, 47, (03.07.71) has today, Thursday 11 April, been further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities, at 10:53hrs after his arrival at a central London police station. 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. | Julian Assange, 47, (03.07.71) has today, Thursday 11 April, been further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities, at 10:53hrs after his arrival at a central London police station. 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. |
| The dramatic footage of a white-bearded Julian Assange being carried out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London by British police officers was captured by a camera operator from the news agency Ruptly, a subsidiary of the Russian government-backed news service RT. | The dramatic footage of a white-bearded Julian Assange being carried out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London by British police officers was captured by a camera operator from the news agency Ruptly, a subsidiary of the Russian government-backed news service RT. |
| The Berlin-based agency, which has carved out a niche in live-streaming events that others ignore, such as protests and public disorder, has maintained a 24-hour watch on the embassy since 5 April according to Laura Lucchini, the head of Ruptly’s newsroom. | The Berlin-based agency, which has carved out a niche in live-streaming events that others ignore, such as protests and public disorder, has maintained a 24-hour watch on the embassy since 5 April according to Laura Lucchini, the head of Ruptly’s newsroom. |
| Embarrassingly, British television stations are now having to rely on footage from a Russian government-backed news organisation to cover an event which took place on their own backyard in central London. | Embarrassingly, British television stations are now having to rely on footage from a Russian government-backed news organisation to cover an event which took place on their own backyard in central London. |
| Multiple sources at UK broadcasters suggested there had been a pool agreement – where the BBC, ITN and Sky News take turns to provide a camera outside the embassy and agree to share any footage – from 5 April onwards. However, this was abandoned at the weekend when news editors concluded Assange would not be leaving imminently, meaning British broadcasters failed to capture the key moment. | Multiple sources at UK broadcasters suggested there had been a pool agreement – where the BBC, ITN and Sky News take turns to provide a camera outside the embassy and agree to share any footage – from 5 April onwards. However, this was abandoned at the weekend when news editors concluded Assange would not be leaving imminently, meaning British broadcasters failed to capture the key moment. |
| RT, previously known as Russia Today, has long been supportive of Assange and his associated causes, prompting suggestions that the news organisation could have received a tip about the impending arrest which enabled it to get the footage. | RT, previously known as Russia Today, has long been supportive of Assange and his associated causes, prompting suggestions that the news organisation could have received a tip about the impending arrest which enabled it to get the footage. |
| However, employees at Ruptly insist there is a more simple explanation: they were more committed to having a cameraman outside the building at all times than other broadcasters. | However, employees at Ruptly insist there is a more simple explanation: they were more committed to having a cameraman outside the building at all times than other broadcasters. |
| They now have a global scoop, with the potential to make substantial sums from licensing the footage around the world. | They now have a global scoop, with the potential to make substantial sums from licensing the footage around the world. |
| In the past, British police forces have been willing to quietly tip off the media about high-profile police raids or arrests – but this has changed followed the Cliff Richard case, which saw the BBC fly a helicopter over the singer’s house only for the investigation to end with no charges and an expensive lawsuit. | In the past, British police forces have been willing to quietly tip off the media about high-profile police raids or arrests – but this has changed followed the Cliff Richard case, which saw the BBC fly a helicopter over the singer’s house only for the investigation to end with no charges and an expensive lawsuit. |
| Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused Ecuador of failing to protect Assange. | Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused Ecuador of failing to protect Assange. |
| “The decision of the Ecuadorean government to hand over Assange to the UK police is a clear violation of his Ecuadorean citizenship and asylum rights. | |
| “Assange’s arrest will put him at risk of extradition to the US, where he will very likely face charges that could see him jailed for 30 or more years. A secret grand jury has been convened to prepare an indictment against Assange and key Trump officials have said that prosecuting Assange is a priority. | |
| “Assange did not leak anything. He published the leaks of Chelsea Manning, as did the Guardian and New York Times. Why is he being signalled out? | |
| “Assange published evidence of American war crimes. He’s a hero, not a criminal. | |
| “The British government should refuse to do the bidding of the Trump administration. It should give public assurances that Assange will not be handed over the US authorities. His extradition to the US is not in the public interest.” | |