The United States is now requesting the United Kingdom to extradite Julain Assange.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, 47, has been arrested by Met Police from the embassy of Ecuador in London after seven years of refuge over a now dropped case of sexual assault.
The arrest took place after Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno withdrew Assange’s asylum for “repeatedly violating international conventions.”
Previously, Assange had refused to leave the embassy fearing extradition to the United States concerning WikiLeaks related activities.
Wikileaks, on the other hand, has criticized the decision and tweeted that Ecuador has illegally terminated Assange’s political asylum in violation of international.
It is noteworthy that Assange was arrested inside the Ecuadorian embassy after allowing Scotland Yard to enter premises.
The NSA whistleblower criticized Assange’s arrest and referred to the United nation’s ruling calling his detention to be “a violation of human rights.”
Important background for journalists covering the arrest of Julian #Assange by Ecuador: the United Nations formally ruled his detention to be arbitrary, a violation of human rights. They have repeatedly issued statements calling for him to walk free–including very recently. pic.twitter.com/fr12rYdWUF
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 11, 2019
Wikileaks which was launched in 2006 has since published a trove of highly sensitive documents it acquired from different sources. Some of these documents include Stratfor email leak, Guantanamo Bay files leak, Global Intelligence Files leak, Syria Files and Vault 7 exposing CIA’s surveillance and hacking tools against its allies.
Update: 13:45 Thursday, 11 April 2019
In a recent development, authorities in the United States have requested the UK to extradite Assange. The UK Home Office has also confirmed the request in its statement and stated that the US had accused him of “of computer-related offenses.”
In a comment, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has warned the attempt to prosecute Julian Assange in connection with publishing “would be unprecedented and unconstitutional, and would open the door to criminal investigations of other news organizations” and “set an especially dangerous precedent.”
Assange Indictment
Here is how Twitter reacted to Assange’s arrest:
If you’re cheering Assange’s arrest based on a US extradition request, your allies in your celebration are the most extremist elements of the Trump administration, whose primary and explicit goal is to criminalize reporting on classified docs & punish WL for exposing war crimes.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 11, 2019
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— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) April 11, 2019
I am in shock..
I couldn’t hear clearly what he said?
He looks very bad.
How could you Equador ?
(Because he exposed you).
How could you UK. ?
Of course – you are America’s bitch and
you need a diversion from your idiotic Brexit bullshit.— Pamela Anderson (@pamfoundation) April 11, 2019
Just confirmed: #Assange has been arrested not just for breach of bail conditions but also in relation to a US extradition request. @wikileaks @khrafnsson
— Jen Robinson (@suigenerisjen) April 11, 2019
Nearly 7yrs after entering the Ecuadorean Embassy, I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK. I would like to thank Ecuador for its cooperation & @metpoliceuk for its professionalism. No one is above the law
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) April 11, 2019
Julian Assange’s detention is an outrageous violation not only of his human rights but also to anyone who is desperately escaping from oppression. #JulianAssange
— Orgе Саstellanо (@itsOrge) April 11, 2019
War criminals and corrupt politicians are celebrating the arrest of #JulianAssange knowing this attack on journalism will end in their favour https://t.co/FqNpfr1YVl
— Nina (@NinaCross25) April 11, 2019
What a sad sad day for the the sovereignty of the individual and freedom of press and of speech. Pls let us know how we can take action. The British government must NOT extradite #JulianAssange They might try to censor one but they can’t sensor us all.
— David Mishra-Newbery (@MishraNewbery) April 11, 2019
Stay tuned…
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