Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested after 7 years in Ecuadorian Embassy – National

The Australian has spent nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy after seeking asylum in August 2012. 

He has now been arrested by the Metropolitan Police for failing to surrender to the court. 

The warrant for his arrest was issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 29, 2012. 

Mr Assange, 47, was arrested at the Embassy of Ecuador in Hans Crescent, London, this morning. 

In a statement the Met said: ‘He has been taken into custody at a central London police station where he will remain, before being presented before Westminster Magistrates' Court as soon as is possible.

‘The MPS had a duty to execute the warrant, on behalf of Westminster Magistrates' Court, and was invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum.’

Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: ‘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.’

WikiLeaks tweeted: ‘URGENT: Ecuador has illigally (sic) terminated Assange political asylum in violation of international law. He was arrested by the British police inside the Ecuadorian embassy minutes ago.’ 

Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno said on Twitter: ‘In a sovereign decision Ecuador withdrew the asylum status to Julian Assange after his repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life protocols.’