Julian Assange: Wikileaks founder still hopeful of having …

JULIAN Assange has been granted a final crack at freedom after a judge agreed to consider whether a 2012 arrest warrant against him should be dropped on public interest grounds.

And, a tumlutous day for the whistleblower has culminated with police swooping on the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to investigate a suspicious package.

I can confirm that a package containing an unknown white powdery substance and a threat was addressed to my name, Assange wrote on Twitter.

It was handed to UK diplomatic police. I understand they are performing toxicology and forensics.

Local police said the item is being assessed by specialist officers. There are no reported injuries.

Assanges last-minute legal request came after Judge Emma Arbuthnot declined an earlier call to have the UK arrest warrant for skipping bail withdrawn.

The sole issue for me to consider at this stage is whether the warrant issued ... can remain in force when the extradition proceedings have terminated, she told Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Having considered the arguments set out ... I am not persuaded that the warrant should be withdrawn.

READ FULL JUDGEMENT HERE

However in a late courtroom twist, Mr Assanges lawyer, Mark Summers QC requested the court consider public interest issues and whether a ruling could be made in his absence rather than wait for his physical surrender due to the exceptional circumstances.

After brief consideration the judge agreed and Mr Summers went on to outline four arguments why the final outstanding warrant should be dealt with without the need for Mr Assange to show up in court.

Firstly, Mr Summers said Mr Assange had held and expressed strong fears of being removed to the US from Sweden.

He said the charges should be dealt with in his absence because the UN had ruled that his situation at present is arbitrary, unreasonable, unnecessary, disproportionate.

Thirdly, Mr Summers argued Mr Assanges decision to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy did not have the usual consequence of paralysing the underlying criminal process.

He said Mr Assange had been interviewed by Swedish authorities inside the embassy and it couldnt be further from the truth that he was waiting out charges to be dropped.

Finally, Mr Summers argued spending the last five and a half years inside the small room was adequate, if not severe punishment for Mr Assanges actions, which would receive a maximum of 12 months in jail.

He catalogued Mr Assanges health issues including depression, a frozen shoulder, a bad tooth and lack of space, despite queries from the judge over the fact he has access to a balcony and computer.

Judge Arbuthnot said she would reserve her final judgment until Tuesday 13 February at 2pm UK time.

Mr Assange, 46, has been living inside the Ecuadorean embassy since June 2012 where he took refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Outside the court, Mr Assanges lawyer Jennifer Robinson said he is still seeking a guarantee he will not be extradited to the US.

Mr Assange remains willing to face British justice in relation to any argument about breach of bail but not at the expense of facing injustice in America, she said.

This case is and has always been about the risk of extradition to the United States and that risk remains real.

MORE: Assange to walk free with bitcoin fortune?

Unless that assurance is given and the UK stops insisting on neither confirming or denying the existence of [that warrant], he is at risk of extradition and that is the risk that he entered the embassy for in the very first place.

Mr Assange tweeted throughout the proceedings and accused the media of wall to wall fake news stating that the government won todays hearing as was initially the case.

Nothing of the sort has happened. The hearing is still happening. Only one point has been ruled on.

Judge has ruled against the first technical point the court now expected to hear & decide on the other points, he said.

The decision came a day after alleged hacker Lauri Love, 32, won a UK court appeal to block his extradition to the US where he faced charges in three states after allegedly stealing data from US agencies including the Department of Defense, Federal Reserve, NASA and the US Army.

Mr Love has Aspergers syndrome and depression and his lawyers argued it would be unjust and oppressive to send him to the US to face trial where he might present a suicide risk.

The UK High Court sided with Mr Love, although he could still face trial in England where he was judged to have benefited from proximity to family members.

Rebecca Niblock, an extradition expert at London law firm Kingsley Napley, told the Associated Press the High Court judgment sets a valuable precedent for future cases.

It is right for British courts to deal with individuals who are alleged to have committed crimes while in the U.K., she said.

with Ben Graham

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