Swedish court upholds warrant against WikiLeaks founder

AFP Swedish court to decide on WikiLeaks founder's fate

Stockholm (AFP) - Julian Assange has lost a court bid to get an arrest warrant against him scrapped, leaving the WikiLeaks founder marooned in the Ecuadoran embassy in London where he sought refuge more than two years ago.

The 43-year-old Assange fears extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual molestation, which he denies.

At the hearing in Stockholm District Court, prosecutors demanded that the warrant, issued in late 2010, should be upheld to secure Assange's return to Sweden.

They rejected Assange's suggestion that they question him in London.

"It would involve questioning a number of people a second or third time, among them possibly Mr Assange," prosecutor Marianne Ny told a press conference.

"To what extent this questioning can be carried out with the help of judicial assistance from our colleagues in Britain is difficult to say."

- 'We will appeal' -

Assange's defence team, which had maintained that the investigation had been unreasonably long, said it would appeal the ruling.

"The last word hasn't been said yet on this," said Thomas Olsson, a member of Assange's defence team.

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Swedish court upholds warrant against WikiLeaks founder