Explained: Why Julian Assange was in Ecuadorian embassy & what happens now

The exact charges against Assange have not been clear up until now. This was partly why Ecuador and so many of his supporters backed his claims to political asylum

Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, has been arrested in London and charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion over his alleged role in the leaking of classified United States government documents. Assange has already been found guilty of failing to surrender British police, who took him from the Ecuadorian embassy, where he has been living for nearly seven years, having claimed asylum there. Here’s what we know so far.

Why was Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in the first place?

Assange sought extraterritorial asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in London in June 2012 when an arrest warrant was issued