VARIOUS FILE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, fighting to avoid extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, takes his case the highest court in Britain

Record ID: 217269

  • Title: VARIOUS FILE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, fighting to avoid extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, takes his case the highest court in Britain
  • Date: 1st February 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - DECEMBER 16, 2010) (REUTERS) LARGE CROWDS OF PRESS AS ASSANGE COMES OUT OF HIGH COURT AFTER BEING RELEASED ON BAIL (SOUNDBITE) (English) JULIAN ASSANGE, FOUNDER OF WIKILEAKS, SAYING: "Well it's great to smell the fresh air of London again." ASSANGE ON STEPS OF HIGH COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) JULIAN ASSANGE, FOUNDER OF WIKILEAK
  • Embargoed: 16th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Crime,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA78P3RHQHDPHMV9HVOTT7IHRAN
  • Story Text: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will appeal to Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 1) not to extradite him to Sweden over suspected sex crimes, a fate that could push his anti-secrecy website further towards oblivion.
    Australian-born Assange, 40, became a worldwide celebrity and infuriated the U.S. government in 2010 when WikiLeaks released secret video footage and thousands of diplomatic cables about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Since then, the scoops have dried up and WikiLeaks has faded from the news headlines, starved of cash by major credit card companies that are refusing to process online donations to it and bogged down by Assange's protracted legal troubles.
    A charismatic but temperamental figure, Assange was detained in Britain in December 2010 on a European arrest warrant issued by a Swedish prosecutor after two female former WikiLeaks volunteers accused him of sexual assault.
    His lawyers argue that under British law the warrant is invalid because it was issued by a prosecutor rather than by a neutral judge or court.
    If the Supreme Court rejects the argument, he may take his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) but it is unclear whether that would stop his extradition to Sweden because it is also a signatory to the European court.
    Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said Assange's lawyers could apply for an injunction to stop his extradition to Sweden from an ECHR judge or apply for one at Britain's High Court should the European court decide to take on his case.
    The Supreme Court hearings will last two days and the court is expected to announce its decision some weeks later.
    Assange denies any wrongdoing and has said that the sex accusations, which surfaced at the height of the international furore over WikiLeaks, were an attempt to silence him.
    He is convinced that U.S. authorities are looking for a way to go after him in retaliation for WikiLeaks' revelations.
    Washington is divided over Assange, with some officials calling for tough action against him to deter would-be leakers and others saying a prosecution would be legally problematic and would give him a boost when he appears headed for irrelevance.
    Assange has been holed up under house arrest for over a year, mostly at the English country mansion of a wealthy supporter.
    He has made some unexpected career moves, including a guest appearance in an episode of the satirical U.S. animated series "The Simpsons" due to be aired on February 19.
    In another TV first, Kremlin-funded station Russia Today announced last week that it had hired Assange to host a political talk show called "The World Tomorrow".
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register