European Union will closely monitor Assange's arrest, says spokesperson.

EFE - The European Commission (EC), the executive body of the European Union (EU), said on Thursday (11) that it will "closely" monitor the detention of the founder of the "WikiLeaks" website, Julian Assange, at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, adding that this is a matter whose decision rests with the courts.

"We learned about it a few minutes ago and, as a general rule, we don't improvise a position on events that are still unfolding," declared the EC's chief spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas, during the body's daily press briefing.

The spokesperson added that the EC will follow the matter "closely" and that the body would comment "if there are any European issues involved in the case."

In this regard, Schinas acknowledged that "since this is a European judicial detention in which Sweden is also involved, this will be discussed many times here," referring to the country that has been requesting the journalist's extradition since 2012 for alleged sexual crimes.

Schinas emphasized that this is "a process that is in the hands of the judges, and that when the judges speak, the politicians should remain silent."

Assange was detained this Thursday (11) at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, after it authorized the entry of British police into the premises, as the government of the South American country decided to withdraw the journalist's asylum.