Julian Assange had always denied the Swedish sexual assault claims, saying they were politically motivated and expressing fears of a plot to transfer him to US to face trial there.
LONDON - Julian Assange has been widely denounced as a conspiracy theorist fleeing from justice, but the revelation on Thursday of a US extradition warrant against the transparency campaigner supports a key reason he gave for going into hiding.
Assange had always denied the Swedish allegations, saying they were politically motivated and expressing fears of a plot to transfer him to the United States to face trial there. But the US and its allies accused him of risking lives by revealing information on sources, intelligence techniques and key infrastructure sites.
When in 2016 a UN panel declared that Assange had been detained arbitrarily, one of his previous media partners, The Guardian, dismissed the idea and said he should face justice. As a teenager, he discovered a talent for computer hacking, and although he has pleaded guilty to 25 such offences, he has only ever walked away with fines.
Ecuador's then president, Rafael Correa, said Assange's human rights could be at risk and offered him refuge, but his successor Lenin Moreno, who took office in 2017, has had less patience.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US charges WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with conspiracyHis London arrest paves the way for his possible extradition to the US, which wants him for trying to access a classified US government computer
Read more »
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in LondonJulian Assange has been taken into custody in Central London.
Read more »
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in LondonJulian Assange has been taken into custody in Central London.
Read more »
Julian Assange arrested by British police at Ecuadorean embassyWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police on Thursday after they were invited into the Ecuadorean embassy where he has been holed up since 2012.
Read more »
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested by British policePolice in London say they've arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy on a court warrant dating back to 2012.
Read more »
Julian Assange will be expelled from Ecuador embassy, WikiLeaks saysThe UK has said Assange, who is wanted for skipping bail, will be arrested when he leaves the embassy
Read more »
Julian Assange will be expelled from Ecuador embassy, WikiLeaks saysThe UK has said Assange, who is wanted for skipping bail, will be arrested when he leaves the embassy
Read more »
UK police arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador embassy | IOL NewsPolice in London say they've arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy on a court warrant dating back to 2012.
Read more »
UK police arrest WikiLeaks co-founder Julian AssangeAssange was arrested moments after Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said on Twitter the country had withdrawn his diplomatic asylum
Read more »