Jennifer Robinson & Liam Walker represent Wikileaks co-founder; Julian Assange following his arrest in London yesterday

In a case that has captured public imagination for almost a decade, Julian Assange's case took another turn yesterday when he was forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Mr Assange has been seeking asylum since 2012, and subsequently arrested by the Metropolitan Police Service. 

Ecuadorian president Lenín Moreno said on 27 July 2018 that he had begun talks with British authorities to withdraw the asylum for Assange. UK police entered the London embassy at the invitation of the Ecuadorian ambassador and arrested Assange.

Doughty Street have a long history with Mr Assange’s case and this continued when counsel Liam Walker, instructed by Gareth Peirce of Birnberg Peirce, represented him yesterday afternoon at Westminster Magistrates Court for failing to surrender to bail.

In concluding his submissions Liam Walker encapsulated Mr Assange’s defence by observing that: “In short Mr Assange was absolutely right.” Mr Assange now awaits sentencing at Southwark Crown Court on a date yet to be advised. 

Counsel also represent Mr Assange in relation to a provisional extradition request from the US Government on allegations of conspiracy; as a Category 2 territory, the US now has 65 days to submit its full extradition request.

Following the hearing Jennifer Robinson, who has long since represented and advised Mr Assange and WikiLeaks and had accompanied them to court, spoke to the world media. 

Jennifer said they would be fighting the extradition request. She said it set a "dangerous precedent" where any journalist could face US charges for "publishing truthful information about the United States".

She said she had visited Assange in the police cells where he thanked supporters and said: "I told you so."

Press coverage can be found here: The Guardian, BBC, NY Times