LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested by British police on a European warrant issued by Sweden, London's Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday.

Swedish prosecutors issued the arrest order for the 39-year-old Australian who is wanted in Sweden on suspicion of committing sexual crimes, which he denies.

Police said Assange, at the centre of a row over the release of secret US diplomatic cables, had been arrested at about 9.30 a.m. (0930 GMT) on Tuesday by appointment at a London police station under a European Arrest Warrant.

“He is accused by the Swedish authorities of one count of unlawful coercion, two counts of sexual molestation and one count of rape, all alleged to have been committed in August 2010,” London police said in a statement.

He is due to appear before City of Westminster Magistrates Court in London later on Tuesday.

WikiLeaks said it will keep operating as normal after the arrest of Assange.

“WikiLeaks is operational. We are continuing on the same track as laid out before,” said Kristinn Hrafnsson, spokesman for the group. “Any development with regards to Julian Assange will not change the plans we have with regards to the releases today and in the coming days.”

Hrafnsson said the operation would be run by a group of people from London and other locations.– Reuters