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

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 against him in Sweden for accusations of sexual assault. He claimed that these charges were part of an international effort to silence his organisation WikiLeaks, which has become famous for publishing leaked, and often classified, information about governments across the world.