London: Julian Assange is likely to face extra criminal charges and potentially decades in jail in the US in addition to the computer hacking allegation revealed on Thursday, according to media reports in the US and UK.

Assange spent Thursday night in an English jail after his dramatic arrest at Ecuador’s London embassy, ending six and a half years of political asylum in the cramped apartment behind Harrods.

He has been found guilty and faces a sentence of up to a year’s jail for skipping bail by entering the embassy in 2012 when he had exhausted his appeals against extradition to Sweden to face rape and sexual assault allegations.

Julian Assange gestures as he arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in LondonCredit:Victoria Jones/PA via AP

Ecuador’s ambassador had sent a written invitation allowing the police to come in and arrest Assange, after it revoked his political asylum for “discourteous and aggressive behaviour” and “hostile and threatening declarations” against Ecuador, President Lenin Moreno said.

Assange was also arrested on a warrant for extradition to the US, where he faces a criminal charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion –  carrying a maximum five year jail penalty.

The charge, filed in March 2018 and revealed on Thursday, alleges Assange helped and encouraged whistleblower Chelsea Manning to obtain a huge trove of secret military and diplomatic documents in 2010, in what the US Department of Justice called "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States".

The department expects to add to the charges against Assange, according to media reports. Possible extra charges include espionage, which can carry a 20-year sentence.

If the US brings any new charges it may have to go through another extradition process in the UK courts.

Such extradition and charges would be fiercely contested, as Assange is expected to argue he is entitled to the same free speech protection in publishing state secrets as any US journalist.

CNN reported the investigation into Assange had initially "struggled" with the question of whether Assange and WikiLeaks were protected by the constitutional freedom of speech right that guards journalism in the US.

But the view of prosecutors "transformed in recent years", CNN quoted a US official saying, "in part due to new evidence”" such as the 2017 publication of stolen CIA hacking codes.

The arrest has sparked warnings from civil liberties proponents about the potentially chilling effect on journalism and free speech.

Assange’s barrister Jennifer Robinson suggested Assange’s health was another reason he should not be extradited.

A supporter of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks holds a placard during a snap rally in Sydney on Friday.Credit:AAP

London’s Mirror newspaper reported Assange had dental problems and osteoporosis – a condition that weakens bones and can be caused by vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sunlight exposure.

A judge can decide not to grant extradition if it was in breach of Assange’s human rights, or if his health made it unjust or oppressive to extradite him.

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the police's "first action" after the arrest was to give Assange a medical assessment and they "deemed him fit to detain".

"While he remains in custody in the UK we are now in a position to ensure his access to all necessary medical facilities," he said.

Meanwhile, a Swedish woman who claimed that Assange raped her in 2010 has formally requested that prosecutors reopen their investigation, which was put on hold in 2017.

Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, is arrested at embassy by British police on Thursday.Credit:ninevms

The Swedish prosecutor’s office said it had appointed a deputy prosecutor to review the request to reopen the investigation. If Sweden renews a request for Assange's extradition it could take precedence over the request from the US.

Assange’s lawyer in Quito, Carlos Poveda, told reporters his asylum had been revoked as revenge for corruption allegations against Moreno, which he had blamed WikiLeaks for spreading.

The so-called "INA Papers" scandal involves a leaked batch of documents that reportedly includes the President’s old family photos, personal emails and text messages. Some of the documents sparked a corruption investigation by Ecuador’s national assembly.

WikiLeaks has denied any connection to the leak but in March it tweeted a link to a website promoting the leak – infuriating Moreno.

Ecuador announced it had also "suspended" Assange’s citizenship.

A senior Ecuadorian official said authorities had also arrested a Swedish software developer in Quito said to be close to Assange and WikiLeaks.

They said they were investigating whether the man, Ola Bini, was part of an alleged effort to blackmail Moreno.

Meanwhile, the reaction of US President Donald Trump to the arrest caused bemusement among political commentators.

Trump said "I know nothing about WikiLeaks, it’s not my thing", though he added "I’ve been seeing what’s happened with Assange". During his presidential campaign Trump had made repeated comments about the website, including "WikiLeaks. I love WikiLeaks".

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