'Became a problem': Assange was arrested at the request of the United States. What threatens him

The Ecuadorian Foreign Minister reported that Assange is deprived of Ecuadorian citizenship.

WikiLeaks tweeted that Ecuador acted illegally, "in violation of international law."

The organization also noted that the Ambassador of Ecuador himself invited the British police to the dimpissia building, after which Assange was immediately detained.

Assange’s lawyer Barry Pollack said he was bitter because the country allowed him to arrest the person whom she had granted citizenship and asylum in his embassy.

“First of all, we hope that Britain will give Assange access to healthcare, which he has not had for seven years,” the lawyer said.

Next, Pollack said, British courts will have to decide what "appears to be an unprecedented US effort to extradite a foreign journalist to face charges for publishing truthful information."

Assange himself had previously stated that his prosecution was politically motivated and could lead to his extradition to the United States for publishing secret military documents and diplomatic mail in 2010.

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: "I can confirm that Julian Assange is now in police custody and will face a fair trial in the UK."

Photo: Twitter screenshot

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova condemned the detention of the Wikileaks founder. “The hand of “democracy” is squeezing the throat of freedom,” she wrote on her Facebook.

Photo: Facebook screenshot

Former American intelligence officer Edward Snowden, who received asylum in Russia, called the Assange case “a dark moment for the world press.”

“Photos of the Ecuadorian ambassador inviting British police into the embassy to escort the editor (like it or not) of award-winning journalism out of the building will go down in the history books,” Snowden tweeted.

Photo: Twitter screenshot

The former president of this Latin American country, Rafael Correa, also criticized the Ecuadorian authorities.

“Lenin Moreno showed the world his human weakness by handing over Julian Assange - who not only received asylum, but also became an Ecuadorian citizen - into the hands of the British police,” Correa said.

As the columnist of the BBC Mundo Hispanic Service, Arturo Valles, points out, the situation with Assange has in many ways reflected the political struggle in Ecuador between Correa and Moreno.

“In fact, Assange became an inconvenient legacy for former President Rafael Correa, as many said Assange's case helped him maintain his international image as a progressive leader and assert the independence of his government,” Valles said.

“However, for Moreno (who has no such interests and who had a serious falling out with his predecessor), Assange has become a problem,” he adds.

Seven years at the embassy

7 December 2010, Assange was detained by the London police after voluntarily arriving at the police station, and nine days later the High Court in London released the founder of WikiLeaks on bail.

In 2012, after a British court ordered his arrest in extradition proceedings to the Swedish authorities, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Photo: Instagram screenshot

Sweden opened a case against Assange, after two Swedish women accused him of sexual crimes.

On Thursday, the Swedish Prosecutor's Office reported that it currently has no complaints against the founder of Wikileaks and does not plan to ask for his extradition, since the case was closed in 2017 year.