LONDON - Britain will not extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States if he faces the possibility of the death penalty there, junior foreign minister Alan Duncan said on Thursday after Assange was arrested in London.

"It is our broad policy in all circumstances, so it equally applies to Julian Assange, that he will not be extradited if he is going to face the death penalty. So that will apply to him," Duncan told Sky News.

(Reporting By Kate Holton and Andrew MacAskill Editing by William Schomberg) ((Andrew.MacAskill@thomsonreuters.com; +442075421726; Reuters Messaging: andrew.macaskill@thomsonreuters.com))