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from the shoulda-taken-the-tea-chest-option-years-back dept.
Breaking: Met police confirm that Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy.
Mr Assange took refuge in the embassy seven years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault case that has since been dropped.
The Met Police said he was arrested for failing to surrender to the court.
Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno said it withdrew Mr Assange's asylum after his repeated violations to international conventions.
But WikiLeaks tweeted that Ecuador had acted illegally in terminating Mr Assange's political asylum "in violation of international law".
[...] Scotland Yard said it was invited into the embassy by the ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum.
After his arrest for failing to surrender to the court, police said he had been further arrested on behalf of US authorities under an extradition warrant.
He doesn't look happy, to say the least.
Update: As this is a breaking story, more information is coming out regularly - one source that updates their reports frequently is Zero Hedge - thanks boru!
Previously: New Analysis of Swedish Police Report Confirms Julian Assange's Version in Sweden's Case
Ecuador Reportedly Almost Ready to Hand Julian Assange Over to UK Authorities
UK Said Assange Would Not be Extradited If He Leaves Embassy Refuge
Inadvertent Court Filing Suggests that the U.S. DoJ is Preparing to Indict Julian Assange
U.S. Ramping Up Probe Against Julian Assange, WikiLeaks Says
Ecuador Denies That Julian Assange Will be Evicted From Embassy in London
(Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday April 11 2019, @02:02PM (5 children)
The Swedish case didn't end as far as I know, it's more like they paused it due to not being able to investigate further in a manner of their choosing -- they couldn't interrogate/question him in a manner/place they wanted to and they assumed he was staying at the embassy indefinitely so he was out of reach for them. But from what the local news sources said here they could re-open the case again if an opportunity or possibility presented itself. Personally I doubt that they will, but one never knows.
Interestingly if he had gone to Sweden in the first place instead of mucking about in the UK and then fleeing to the embassy he would have been free a long time ago. No matter which sex-crime he had been charged with his sentence would have been served years ago by now.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @06:51PM (2 children)
The Swedish prosecutor could have sent someone to interview him at the embassy. She was forced to resign because she didn't do that.
If he had gone to Sweden, they would have turned him over to the US immediately. Ask Chelsea Manning how that goes.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday April 11 2019, @10:31PM (1 child)
What? Did you red-pill again? They didn't want to interview him at a foreign embassy cause they have no control of the location. Why is that so hard to grasp? Who was forced to resign? Marianne Ny? She retired due to old age, the retirement age in Sweden is 65 which she passed. Why exactly would Sweden have turned Assange over to the US immediately? They are a lackey for sure like most of the western world but they are not complete toadies. I'm sure that with the proper paper work and such it could have been a thing. And what does Chelsea Manning have to do with it? I'm fairly sure that Manning hasn't been anywhere near Sweden when (s)he was about to get arrested. As far as I know Sweden has nothing to do with Manning what so ever.
(Score: 3, Informative) by sjames on Friday April 12 2019, @04:01AM
Keep in mind that all of that happened after the allegation was investigated by police in Sweden WHILE HE WAS IN SWEDEN, found to be baseless, and closed. He was told he was free to go.
Meanwhile, the woman he was supposed to have victimized recanted and formally refused to cooperate with prosecution..
(Score: 2) by Magic Oddball on Thursday April 11 2019, @09:24PM (1 child)
Looks like they have reopened the sexual-assault case according to an update in the ZeroHedge link TFS [zerohedge.com]:
(Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday April 11 2019, @10:40PM
Odd. That is not what the prosecuting authority are saying via their homepage, and I would trust them more then some news site. They say they are looking into it and that they might do it. But not that they have or will. But then they have about a year or so left to decide so it's not like they have to hurry up all to much.
https://www.aklagare.se/en/nyheter--press/press-releases/?newsId=0A298F4C7F9646B9 [aklagare.se]