Julian Assange arrested in London

UK police confirmed Thursday that Assange has been arrested "on behalf of the United States authorities" who are seeking his extradition.

He was initially arrested this morning for skipping out on a UK arrest warrant issued in 2012; once he arrived at the police station this morning, he was then "further" arrested under an extradition request by the US.

Here's the full police statement:

Elisabeth Massi Fritz, a lawyer for a Swedish woman who accused Julian Assange of sex crimes, tweeted Thursday that she and her client were shocked by his arrest, but said they had been hoping for it since 2012.

“My client and I have just recieved (sic) the news that Assange has been arrested in London. It did understandably come as a shock to my client that what we have been waiting and hoping for since 2012 has now finally happened.”

Assange first sought asylum in connection with Swedish prosecutors’ attempt to question him about allegations from two women against him.

It's been seven years, so let's remind ourselves how Assange got himself in this predicament.

Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London on June 19, 2012, days after the UK’s Supreme Court upheld a decision to extradite him to Sweden for questioning over claims of sexual assault.

The Australian national claimed asylum at the embassy because he believed Sweden would have sent him onward to the US, where he could theoretically face the death penalty if convicted of publishing government secrets through WikiLeaks. Assange has never been charged by Swedish authorities and has repeatedly denied the assault allegations.

Assange had handed himself over to London authorities in 2010. That same year, he was released on bail and placed under house arrest. His legal battle against extradition ended with the May 2012 decision.

Last year, Swedish prosecutors dropped their case against the WikiLeaks founder but he chose to remain holed up in the embassy because he was still wanted for breaching his bail terms and failing to surrender to the UK court in June 2012.

The actress Pamela Anderson, who visited Assange several times in the Ecuadorian embassy during his time there, said she was “in shock” over his arrest and ripped into the UK for their morning raid on the embassy.

“I am in shock.. I couldn’t hear clearly what he said? He looks very bad. How could you Equador (sic) ? (Because he exposed you). How could you UK. ?" Anderson tweeted Thursday, before accusing Britain of arresting Assange to distract from the country's never-ending Brexit debacle.

Debate is emerging on social media over the press freedom implications of Assange's forced removal from the Ecuadorian embassy on Thursday morning.

Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked classified documents on US surveillance programs around the world in 2013, reacted to news of Assange's arrested quickly on Thursday.

In a second, tweet Snowden also highlighted a UN panel's judgment that Assange had been "arbitrarily detained."

Assange will now be booked at a central London police station and might need a medical assessment owing to his appearance, a source with knowledge of police procedures told CNN.

The source said Assange would have to make it to court by 2 p.m. for the afternoon sitting, so it’ll be tight for him to appear today, but possible.

Shortly after the arrest, Lenin Moreno, the President of Ecuador, released a video statement explaining his government’s decision to withdraw the Australian activist’s asylum.

He said Assange had provoked the decision and that Ecuador's patience had "reached its limit," adding that Assange had repeatedly broken the embassy's house rules by installing electronic and distortion equipment and blocking security cameras.

Moreno also confirmed that he had sought legal guidance that Ecuador's position was lawful and "in line with our strong commitment to human rights."

In a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if Russia would give him asylum. Here's his response:

Video footage captured the dramatic moment Julian Assange was hauled out of the Ecuadorian embassy after seven years inside.

Police officers could be seen carrying the 47-year-old Australian out of the embassy as he gesticulated and shouted, though it was difficult to make out what he said. Officers then made a beeline for the waiting police van.