In a fast-moving development since Julian Assange’s arrest inside the Ecuadorian embassy earlier today for breaching UK bail conditions, the Wikileaks founder has been rearrested on behalf of the U.S. — confirming that he will face extradition proceedings.
In an updated statement the Met Police 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.Assange was rearrested while in custody of London’s Met Police, and is due in Westminster Magistrates court this afternoon, according to Wikileaks. Wikileaks also tweeted that Assange has been arrested under a U.S. extradition warrant on a conspiracy charge for publishing classified information that was leaked to Wikileaks by former army intelligence analyst and whistleblower, Chelsea Manning . Manning was pardoned by president Obama just before he left office at the start of 2017 and released from prison in May that year. However she was rearrested in March this year for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. Manning remains in prison in the U.S. The existence of a sealed charge against Assange in the U.S. was revealed inadvertently last year after an unrelated court filing was found to contain information on a sealed charge against the Wikileaks founder.