The Wikileaks founder was arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy last week
Julian Assange was arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Sunday “on a warrant issued by Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 29 June 2012, for failing to surrender to the court”.
The Australian had spent seven years at the embassy fighting extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted over sexual assault allegations made against him.
His refuge was granted after he claimed that if he was sent to Sweden, he could be arrested by United States police and face charges related to a series of leaks published by WikiLeaks and provided by Chelsea Manning, a former United States Army soldier and whistleblower.
Assange has yet to be extradited from the United Kingdom, and leaked footage obtained by El Pais and published by CNN has shown a glimpse at how the 47-year-old spent his time inside the embassy.
The footage – which is believed to have been recorded between 2012 and 2017 – shows him in shorts and a tank top, skateboarding along a wooden floor without shoes on while a smiling woman sits on a chair next to him.
During his time at the Ecuadorian embassy, reports emerged that Assange’s hygiene had become an issue of annoyance for staff in the building, while Ecuador’s president Lenin Moreno claimed he “repeatedly violated” the terms of his asylum via his online activities.
