WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by British police on Thursday after they were invited into the Ecuadorean embassy where he has been holed up since 2012.

Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador, police said.

Police said they arrested Assange after being invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorean government's withdrawal of asylum.

Assange was taken into custody at a central London police station and he will be brought before Westminster Magistrates' Court, police said.

Assange's relationship with his hosts broke after Ecuador accused him of leaking information about President Lenin Moreno's personal life. Moreno had previously said Assange has violated the terms of his asylum.

Moreno said that he had asked Britain to guarantee that Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face torture or the death penalty.

The British government has confirmed it in writing, in accordance with its own rules, Moreno said.

WikiLeaks said Ecuador had illegally terminated Assange's political asylum in violation of international law.

British home secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK. I would like to thank Ecuador for its cooperation @metpoliceuk for its professionalism. No one is above the law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, answering a question about the arrest of the WikiLeaks founder in London, said Moscow hopes that his rights will not be violated.

(REUTERS)