Former US government fugitive Edward Snowden has commented on the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London, calling it a "dark moment for press freedom."
“The images of the Ecuadorian ambassador calling the UK police to the embassy to drag the award-winning journalist out of the building will surely go down in history!” Edward Snowden said on Twitter.
“Assange’s critics may rejoice, but this is a dark moment for press freedom,” Snowden stressed.
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who has released secret and confidential documents that have, at times, troubled the United States government, was taken into custody on Thursday after being evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has lived for nearly seven years.
The Metropolitan Police said Mr Assange was arrested by embassy officers on a warrant issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court in 2012 for failing to appear in court.
- The United States Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Mr. Assange over the publication of confidential documents, which prosecutors made public in November.
- He also faces charges in a British court for failing to appear at his trial.
- Additionally, as mentioned above, Mr. Assange is accused of helping Russia meddle in the 2016 presidential election by publishing stolen material from Democratic Party computers.
