Following his arrest at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been found guilty in a UK court and now faces a custodial sentence before possible extradition to the USA to face further charges.
Assange was taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court shortly after his arrest where he was found guilty of failing to surrender to the court. District Judge Michael Snow criticised Assange's behavior in court before labeling him a "narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interest". The 47-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Despite the predicament Assange now finds himself in, he appeared to be trying to remain positive and strong, even taking a moment to wave and give a thumbs up to the public gallery where his supports were situated. He also gave the media thumbs up while in transit from the Ecuadorian embassy.
After the guilty verdict, Julian Assange was transported to Southwark Crown Court where he is due to be sentenced at a later date. Assange faces up to 12 months in prison in the UK
The Wikileaks co-founder had sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 following charges brought against him in Sweden relating to allegations of sexual assault. These were claims that Assange has always denied and despite being determined to clear his name, he knew that leaving the embassy to fight the charges would have left him vulnerable to arrest and extradition to the US.
The UK government is set to make a decision on whether or not to extradite Assange to the US where he faces up to five years imprisonment for conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a former US intelligence analyst who whistleblew on a number of incidents involving the US military.