WikiLeaks has accused Ecuador of illegally terminating Assange's political asylum in violation of international law, leading to his arrest by UK authorities. According to the official statement, Assange was arrested "for failing to surrender to the court" and was taken to a central London police station, where he will stay until he goes to the Westminster Magistrates' Court.
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Earlier in the day, UK police officially announced that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
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- 18:48
The Life and Times of Julian Assange
Past Controversial, Future Uncertain: The Life and Times of Julian Assange
With WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange having been extracted from the Ecuadorian embassy, arrested and convicted of failing to surrender to an arrest warrant and skipping bail, Sputnik takes an extensive look at the life history of one of the most controversial figures of modern times'.Read more - 18:06
Assange's Arrest Attacks All Investigative Journalists - Investigative Journalism Center
The arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was apprehended by the UK police earlier in the day in London, constitutes a blow to the entire field of investigative journalism, the Center for Investigative Journalism said in a statement on Thursday.
"Whatever your view of its philosophy of radical transparency, Wikileaks is a publisher. Any charges now brought in connection with that material, or any attempt to extradite Mr Assange to the United States for prosecution under the deeply flawed cudgel of the Espionage Act 1917, is an attack on all of us," the statement said.
The statement added that Assange "deserves the solidarity of the community of investigative journalists."
- 17:39
Accusations Against Assange of Links to 'Russian Hackers' Ungrounded - Assange's Defence
Former judge Baltasar Garzon, coordinator of the defense group of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, denied Ecuador's accusations against Assange of links to Russian hackers.
"[These accusations] are unreliable and we will prove it. You can't lie to citizens even for political reasons, you can't do that. These accusations about alleged links to hackers are wrong," Garzon told reporters in Madrid.
- 17:19
Ecuador Wasn't Aware of Request For Assange Extradition - FM
"At the time the decision to finalize his asylum was made, there was only a case in the United Kingdom for violating the conditions of his bail in 2012," Foreign Minister Jose Valencia told lawmakers in Quito, the capital.
- 17:18
Bolivian President Reacts to Assange's Arrest
Bolivian President Condemns Assange's Arrest, Freedom of Speech Violation
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Bolivian President Evo Morales on Thursday strongly condemned the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, which took place earlier in the day at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, and the flagrant breach of freedom of speech.Read more - 17:02
US Lawmaker Offers Prospects for Better Ties With Ecuador After Assange Asylum Terminated
Ecuador's decision to terminate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's political asylum will likely improve the relationship between Washington and Quito, US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel said in a press release on Thursday.
"I thank Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno for taking this crucial step. Former President Rafael Correa's initial decision to grant Mr. Assange safe harbor created this irritant in our relationship with Ecuador. I look forward to working closely with President Moreno to further deepen US-Ecuador relations," Engel said in the release.
- 16:50
Trump Says Knows Nothing About Assange’s Arrest, It's Up to Attorney General to Decide What's Next in His Case
"I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It's not my thing. And I know there was something having to do with Julian Assange. I've been seeing what was happening with Assange," US President Donald Trump told journalists, hours after Julian Assange had been arrested in London.
- 16:49
Lawyers Around World Outraged by Assange’s Arrest - Int'l Association of Democratic Lawyers
Lawyer communities from all over the world are outraged by the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Micol Savia, the permanent representative of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) to the United Nations in Geneva, told Sputnik.
"We will follow closely all developments. Of course we will issue statements calling on the UK authorities not to extradite Mr. Assange and to protect his fundamental rights. Since his arrest few hours ago I received so many calls from lawyers all around the world asking the same: what can we do? The lawyers' community around the world is outraged by the Ecuadorian decision to withdraw asylum and to hand over Assange to British authorities," Savia said.
- 16:33
Assange's Lawyer Says Will File Lawsuit in Int'l Human Rights Court Over His Client's Arrest
Former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, coordinator of the defense team for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said Thursday he intended to appeal his client's arrest in the European Court of Human Rights.
"We must submit several initiatives at the international level, [to appeal] to the European Court of Human Rights. Let's not forget that the UK is represented in this court," Garzon told reporters in Madrid.
Garzon also said he would file a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights about the actions of the Ecuadorian authorities.
"We will do all we can to ensure the safety of Julian Assange," he stressed.
- 16:19
Human Rights Watch Says ‘Awaiting Greater Clarity’ on Charges Against Assange
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is waiting for more clarity on the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who was arrested in the UK earlier in the day on the US extradition request, the prominent international watchdog told Sputnik on Friday.
"We are not commenting at this time until more information is known, and are awaiting greater clarity on the charges," the advocacy group said.
- 15:46
Legal Counsel of Alleged Victim in Dropped Assange Case Has Requested Reopening of Preliminary Investigation - Swedish Prosecution Authority
- 15:26
Ecuador Names Assange's Deteriorating Health Among Reasons for Asylum Withdrawal
The health condition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was one of the reasons why the president of Ecuador decided to deny him asylum, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Jose Valencia said on Thursday.
"Seven years in a restricted area had an impact on Assange. We received information from various sources, which gave us a reason for concern, and this was taken into account when deciding to refuse asylum. We didn't want it to damage his health even more," the minister told reporters.
- 15:20
Assange Lawyer Says His Client Will Fight Extradition to US
- 15:18
US DoJ Expects to Bring Additional Charges Against Assange - Reports
The Department of Justice is expected to bring additional charges against Assange, CNN reported citing a US official briefed on the matter.
- 15:16
Reporters Without Borders Calls on UK Government to Refrain From Extraditing Assange to US
"RSF calls on the UK authorities to prioritize the principles of freedom of expression and protection of the role of journalism, including journalistic sources, in their treatment of Assange, in line with UK law and the UK's international human rights obligations," the statement said. "As such, the UK should refrain from complying with requests to extradite Assange to the US that would aim at sanctioning his journalistic-like activities."
- 15:05
WATCH Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Speak Amid Arrest of Julian Assange
‘I Don’t See It Benefitting Anyone’ - UKIP Member on Brexit Delay
Theresa May has successfully convinced her EU counterparts to delay Brexit until October at the latest, but could this decision by Brussels come back to bite them where it hurts?Read more - 14:44
Journalists Should Be Deeply Troubled by Charges Against Assange - Lawyer
"The factual allegations against Mr Assange boil down to encouraging a source to provide him information and taking efforts to protect the identity of that source", lawyer Barry Pollack said. "Journalists around the world should be deeply troubled by these unprecedented criminal charges".
- 14:20
Podemos Head on Arrest of Julian Assange
Head of Left-Wing Spanish Party Podemos Demands Release of Julian Assange
MADRID (Sputnik) - The head of the left-wing Spanish party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, called on Thursday for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, arrested earlier in the day, to be released.Read more - 14:00
UK Govt Did Not Lobby Ecuadorian Govt to Revoke Assange’s Asylum - PM May's Spokeswoman
- 13:58
Assange to Be Sentenced in Crown Court Where Max Sentence is 12 Months - Reports
- 14:08
Nobel Prize for Assange - Activist
Assange Deserves Nobel Prize Instead of Imprisonment – Human Rights Activist
Metropolitan police arrested Assange inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London Thursday, where he had been residing since 2012 under political asylum fearing extradition over the now dropped charges in Sweden and WikiLeaks' revelations in the US. A US host and human rights activists have given their take on Assange’s arrest and its implications.Read more - 13:58
Assange Found Guilty of Skipping Bail by UK Judge
- 13:45
Assange Pleads Not Guilty to Failing to Surrender
- 13:33
People Protest Outside Westminster Magistrates' Court Following Assange's Arrest
© Sputnik / Demond Cureton
© Sputnik / Demond Cureton - 13:31
Pamela Anderson Slams UK For Arresting Assange
Pamela Anderson Slams UK as ‘American B**ch’ for Arresting Assange
The Playboy model-turned activist publicly endorsed the WikiLeaks founder while he was residing in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and even visited him there. She has not remained on the sidelines regarding the recent dramatic turn posting a fierce rant on Twitter.Read more - 13:26
Ecuadorian Embassy Comments on Assange’s Cat
Assange’s Cat Not There, Taken by His Associates Long Ago - Ecuadorian Embassy
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A cat belonging to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was arrested by the UK police earlier on Thursday, has not been in the Ecuadorian Embassy for a long time after being taken away by Assange’s associates, a spokesperson for the Ecuadorian Embassy in the United Kingdom told Sputnik.Read more - 13:19
World Reacts to Assange Arrest in UK
World Reacts to Assange Arrest in UK: From Dark Moment for Freedom to 'No Hero'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London earlier in the day in what the whistleblowing website described as an illegal termination of his political asylum in violation of international law.Read more - 13:17
US Prosecutors Allege Manning Gave Assange Part of Password Stored on Pentagon's Computers
US Charges Assange With Helping Chelsea Manning Break Into Classified Computers
Earlier, UK police confirmed having arrested Assange due to an extradition request from the US over the publication of the country's secret documents.Read more - 13:09
Assange Charged With Conspiracy to Commit Computer Intrusion, Faces Up to 5 Years - DoJ
"Julian P. Assange, 47, the founder of WikiLeaks, was arrested today in the United Kingdom pursuant to the U.S./UK Extradition Treaty, in connection with a federal charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified U.S. government computer," the release said, adding that he faces up to five years in prison.
- 12:55
PM May Welcomes News on Assange's Arrest
"I am sure that the whole House will welcome the news this morning that the Metropolitan Police have arrested Julian Assange, arrested for breach of bail, after nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy. He has also been arrested in relation to an extradition request from the United States' authorities. This is now a legal matter before the courts," May told the House of Commons.
- 12:53
Ecuador to Present Data on Two Alleged Russian Hackers Linked to Assange - Interior Minister
The Ecuadorian authorities will submit to the prosecution information about two suspected Russian hackers who may have been linked to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo said Thursday.
"A complaint will be lodged with the prosecution over two Russian hackers living in Ecuador", the minister said.
Romo added that the Ecuadorian government would publish new details in the coming hours that would explain the country's decision. The interior minister said the information would concern the interference of "Assange and the company linked to him in Ecuador's internal affairs."
"For several years, one of the key WikiLeaks members, someone close to Assange, has been living in Ecuador. We have sufficient evidence that this person was linked to attempts to destabilize the government and traveled to other countries with former Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino," the minister said.
- 12:50
Twittersphere Reacts to Assange's Unexpected Looks
Meme Storm: Twittersphere Thrilled With Julian Assange's 'Great Big Bushy Beard'
Footage of the WikiLeaks' founder being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London by authorities has spread on social media like wildfire, inspiring users to post memes humouring Julian Assange's looks.Read more - 12:37
Australia Will Continue to Provide Consular Support to Assange - Foreign Minister
"Mr Assange will continue to receive the usual consular support from the Australian Government. Consular officers will seek to visit Mr Assange at his place of detention," Payne wrote on Facebook.
- 12:33
Assange Brought to Westminster Magistrates' Court in Handcuffs
- 12:18
Assange's Ecuadorian Citizenship Has Been Suspended - Ecuadorian FM
- 12:14
LIVE Outside Westminster Magistrates Court Following Arrest of Assange
WATCH Westminster Magistrates Court Following Arrest of WikiLeaks' Assange
The Westminster Magistrates Court is waiting for Julian Assange after Ecuador terminated the WikiLeaks founder's political asylum and handed him over to the Metropolitan Police.Read more - 12:02
WikiLeaks Says Assange Arrested Over 'Conspiracy With Chelsea Manning' For Publishing Iraq War Logs, Cablegate, Afghan War Logs
- 12:12
WikiLeaks Says Assange to Be Taken to Westminster Magistrates Court This Afternoon
- 11:58
Assange Support Group Slams Ecuadorian Gov't for Allowing WikiLeaks Founder Arrest
Group Unity4J Slams Ecuadorian Gov't for Allowing WikiLeaks Founder Arrest
LONDON (Sputnik) - Suzie Dawson, an organizer at the United in Solidarity for Julian Assange, or simply Unity4J group, told Sputnik on Thursday that the group deplored the actions of the Ecuadorian government that had "torn international law to shreds" by enabling the UK police to arrest Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.Read more - 11:41
French MP Mélenchon Says France Must Grant Assange Asylum
"Julian Assange acted for the cause of the freedom and independence of France by revealing aggressive practices against us. The honour of our country must be to grant him political asylum at a time when his freedom is threatened," Jean-Luc Antoine Pierre Mélenchon, founder of La France insoumise political party said in his communique.
- 11:37
UK Police Confirm Assange Arrested in Relation to Extradition Warrant on Behalf of US Authorities
"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 UK police said in a statement.
- 11:33
Assange's Lawyer on US Role in Whistleblower's Arrest
Assange's Lawyer Suspects US May Be 'Playing its Cards Secretly'
After residing for years under political asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London over extradition fears, Julian Assange was arrested this morning by the British police. His team alleges that he might now be extradited to the US and persecuted there for publishing leaked classified documents, exposing US atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan.Read more - 11:30
Timeline of Whistleblower's 2,487 Days in Ecuador's Embassy in London
Clockwatching: Timeline of Assange's 2,487 Days in Ecuador's Embassy in London
In June 2012 - two years after WikiLeaks unearthed a trove of 250,000 secret US diplomatic cables, exposing wrongdoing in dozens of countries around the world - its Australian founder Julian Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy.Read more - 11:27
UK Doesn't Extradite People to Countries Where They Could Face Death Penalty - UK Junior FM on Assange's Possible Extradition to US
"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.
- 11:17
Swedish Prosecution Considers Possibility to Resume Investigation of Sexual Assault Accusations Against Assange - Reports
Sweden Considers Resuming Sexual Assault Probe Against Assange - Reports
WikiLeaks’ founder, Julian Assange, is currently in custody after being arrested by the UK’s Met police at the Ecuadorian Embassy London earlier in the day.Read more - 11:15
Russian Embassy in London Says Received No Asylum Requests From Assange
"The Russian Embassy in Britain has not received requests to grant asylum to Julian Assange," a spokesman for the diplomatic mission told Sputnik.
- 11:08
WikiLeaks Believes Assange Was Arrested for Subsequent Extradition to US
The WikiLeaks non-profit organisation that publishes classified information and news leaks said on Thursday that the goal of the arrest of its founder, Julian Assange, by UK authorities was his subsequent extradition to the United States, where he is wanted for publishing classified data.
The activist has repeatedly said that he fears extradition to the United States due to the fact that he has published thousands of leaked classified US government documents, exposing US atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- 11:06
Former Ecuadorian President Slams Moreno as ‘Traitor’ for Terminating Assange's Asylum
Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa strongly condemned on Thursday his successor, Lenin Moreno, for depriving WikiLeaks whistleblowing website founder Julian Assange of asylum status.
"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," Correa wrote on Twitter.
- 11:04
UN Called Assange's Detention Violation of Rights - Snowden
Snowden Reminds UN Called Assange's Detention Arbitrary, Violation of Rights
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Former US National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden recalled on Thursday, following the arrest of the WikiLeaks whistleblowing website founder Julian Assange that the United Nations had ruled Assange's detention to be a violation of human rights.Read more - 11:02
Reporters Without Borders Slams Assange's Arrest
RSF Slams Assange's Arrest Over WikiLeaks Activity as 'Precedent' US May Pursue
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Christophe Deloire, the head of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) international non-profit organisation advocating freedom of the press, stated that targeting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, arrested earlier in the day, because of WikiLeaks activities would be a "dangerous precedent" that the US could pursue in future.Read more - 10:46
Assange Likely to Appear Before UK Magistrates' Court Within 24 Hours - Mother
Assange Likely to Appear Before UK Magistrates' Court Within 24 Hours - Mother
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The mother of WikiLeaks whistleblowing website's founder Julian Assange said on Thursday, citing her son's lawyer, that Assange, arrested earlier in the day, was likely to appear before a UK magistrates' court within 24 hours, adding that the UK was likely to seek a maximum prison term of 12 months for him in a higher court.Read more - 10:43
Snowden Calls Assange's Arrest 'Dark Moment For Press Freedom'
"Images of Ecuador's ambassador inviting the UK's secret police into the embassy to drag a publisher of--like it or not--award-winning journalism out of the building are going to end up in the history books. Assange's critics may cheer, but this is a dark moment for press freedom," Snowden tweeted.
- 10:33
RT Editor-in-Chief on Arrest of WikiLeaks Founder Assange: 'Global Hypocrisy Won'
"What lies in store for him [Assange] now? Decades in prisons? Death penalty in one of the states of the world's exemplary democracies? He was ready for everything. Today, global hypocrisy won", Simonyan said on Telegram.
- 10:26
UK Vows Not to Extradite Assange to Country Where He May Face Death Row - Ecuador's Moreno
The United Kingdom has pledged not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to any country where he might face torture or the death penalty, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno said Thursday.
"In line with our strong commitment to human rights and international law, I requested Great Britain to guarantee that Mr 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 in a video posted on his Twitter.
- 10:22
First VIDEO of Julian Assange Being Removed From Ecuadorian Embassy
Footage of Wikileakes founder, who has been staying in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past seven years, has now appeared online. The clip shows the whistleblower looking dishevelled, while being led away down the embassy steps by a group of men.Read more - 10:17
Twitter Users React to Arrest of Assange
'Day Democracy Ended in Britain': Twitter Reacts to Assange Arrest in London
The WikiLeaks has accused Ecuador of “illegally terminating Assange's political asylum in violation of international law,” after he was arrested by the British police inside the Ecuadorian embassy on Thursday.Read more - 10:11
Hunt Thanks Ecuador's President for Cooperation With UK 'to Ensure Assange Faces Justice'
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt thanked Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno for his cooperation with the United Kingdom in ensuring that WikiLeaks whistleblowing site founder Julian Assange "faces justice".
- 10:10
Russia Describes Assange's Arrest in London as 'Democracy' Choking Freedom
Russia Slams Assange's Arrest in UK: 'Hand of Democracy Strangling Freedom'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in the United Kingdom and will remain in police custody in central London until he is brought before court, which is set to be as soon as possible, the Metropolitan Police said earlier in the day.Read more - 10:08
WikiLeaks' Founder Julian Assange Arrested in Ecuadorian Embassy in London
The arrest comes some 24 hours after WikiLeaks claimed that Assange had been subject to a sophisticated spying operation, with the obtained data presumably being transferred to US authorities.Read more
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