The latest headlines in your inbox<\/p>\n
The latest headlines in your inbox<\/p>\n
American whistle-blower Edward Snowden has described Julian Assanges arrest at the Ecuadorian Embassy as a dark moment for press freedom.<\/p>\n
Mr Snowden, a former CIA employee who fled the US after leaking top-secret National Security Agency (NSA) documents, took to Twitter shortly after Assange was dragged out of the embassyby police.<\/p>\n
Images of Ecuador's ambassador inviting the UK's secret police into the embassy to drag a publisher of--like it or not--award-winning journalism out of the building are going to end up in the history books, he wrote. <\/p>\n
Assange'scritics may cheer, but this is a dark moment for press freedom.<\/p>\n
The post was retweeted over 5,600 times within an hour of publication.<\/p>\n
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested at Ecuadorian embassy <\/p>\n
The 35-year-old also used the social media platform to alert journalists to important background material, posting a screenshot of a statement from the UN Human Rights High Commissioner.<\/p>\n
Julian Assange's cat looks on from the embassy (Alex Lentati) <\/p>\n
The United Nations formally ruled his detention to be arbitrary, a violation of human rights. They have repeatedly issued statements calling for him to walk free-- including very recently, Mr Snowden added.<\/p>\n
Mr Snowden, who now lives in an undisclosed part of Moscow, is president of the Freedom of Press Foundation - an organisation that claims to defend and supportcutting-edge transparency journalism in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n
Assange was arrested on Thursday, April 11after spending seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.<\/p>\n
He sought asylum at the embassy in 2012 to escape extradition to the US for questioning, after publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables through WikiLeaks.<\/p>\n
He was seized by police after Ecuador abruptly withdrew asylum from him. He was arrested for failing to surrender to the court and was taken in custody to a central London police station this morning.<\/p>\n
Scotland Yard later issued a statement saying he had been further arrested on behalf of US authorities on arrival at the police station.<\/p>\n
A spokesman said: \"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.\"<\/p>\n
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