A Swedish appellate court has denied WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges bid to have his arrest warrant set aside.

On Thursday, the Svea Court of Appeal upheld a city courts decision, saying in an online statement that "Julian Assange is suspected on probable cause of crimes including rape (less serious crime) and that there is a great risk that he will evade legal proceedings or punishment."

The Australian remains wanted in Sweden for questioning relating to alleged sex offenses dating back to 2010however, Assange has not yet been formally charged with a crime. According to Assanges own September 2013 affidavit, he stated that the women he slept with specifically said they were not accusing him of rape and that police "made up the charges."

As a result of the case, Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he was granted asylum in 2012. The embassy, in turn, is constantly surrounded by London policethe city government is spending around $16,000 each day to keep an eye on Assange. He refuses to go to Sweden over fears that he will be extradited to the United States to face further potential charges relating to WikiLeaks publication of classified material.

"In the view of the Court of Appeal there is no reason to set aside the detention solely because Julian Assange is in an embassy and the detention order cannot be enforced at present for that reason," the appellate court added."When it comes to the reasons for and against detention, i.e. the assessment of proportionality that is always made when use is made of a coercive measure such as detention, the Court of Appeal considers that Julian Assanges stay at the embassy shall not count in his favour since he can himself choose to bring his stay there to an end."

However, the court also added that there was a failure of the prosecutors to examine alternative avenues is not in line with their obligation, suggesting that there may be an alternative method to questioning Assange, such as doing it at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Last month, top British officials indicated they would be amendable to such a solution.

These are matters for the [Swedish] prosecutor to decide on, but if she wished to travel here to question Mr. Assange in the embassy in London, we would do absolutely everything to facilitate that. Indeed, we would actively welcome it, Foreign Minister Hugo Swire said in the House of Commons.

Assanges Swedish attorney, Per Samuelson, told local media that Assange would appeal the decision to the Swedish Supreme Court.

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Julian Assange’s arrest warrant still stands, Swedish appeals court rules

Julian Assange speaks at a press conference in the Ecuadorian embassy in London on 18 August 2014. Photograph: Xinhua /Landov / Barcroft Media

Stockholms appeal court has rejected a demand by Julian Assanges lawyers to lift the arrest warrant against him, leaving the WikiLeaks founder still facing extradition to Sweden should he renounce his asylum in Ecuadors London embassy.

In making this assessment, account must be taken of the fact that Julian Assange is suspected of crimes of a relatively serious nature, the court said in a statement on Thursday. A Swedish prosecutor first sought Assanges arrest four years ago following sexual assault and rape allegations, which he denies.

There is a great risk that he will flee and thereby evade legal proceedings if the detention order is set aside. In the view of the court of appeal, these circumstances mean that the reasons for detention still outweigh the intrusion or other detriment entailed by the detention order.

But the court also noted that Swedens investigation into Assange had come to a halt and prosecutors failure to examine alternative avenues of investigation is not in line with their obligation in the interests of everyone concerned to move the preliminary investigation forward. The ruling is expected to put pressure on prosecutors to find new ways to break the deadlock.

Per Samuelsson, one of Assanges lawyers in Stockholm, said the courts criticism of the prosecutor was aimed at her refusal to come to London to question Assange.

This is crucial because the court said we were right in the wording, but not in the courts actual decision, he said.

After the ruling he had spoken to Assange, who was disappointed but confident that they would prevail in the long run.

Swedish and international law is on our side, Samuelsson said. The ruling shows we are on the right track, but unfortunately the court of appeal did not have the courage to overturn the arrest warrant.

Asked what he meant by the need to pursue alternative avenues of investigation, Niclas Wgnert, the appeal court judge in the case, told the TT news agency: Thats a matter for the prosecutor. One way would be to interrogate him in London.

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Julian Assange: Swedish court rejects appeal to lift arrest warrant

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has failed to have a Swedish detention order overturned but is buoyed by the fact prosecutors have been criticised for allowing their sex assault investigation to stall.

The Court of Appeal in Stockholm on Thursday refused to set aside a detention order granted in late 2010 over allegations Assange molested and raped two women.

But in the process the court noted the investigation had ground to a halt.

"The failure of the prosecutors to examine alternative avenues is not in line with their obligation - in the interests of everyone concerned - to move the preliminary investigation forward," the court said.

Assange's legal team believes that warning means prosecutor Marianne Ny will now have to travel to London to interview Assange in Ecuador's embassy.

The 43-year-old has been holed up there since August 2012 when he was granted political asylum by the South Americans.

"The pressure on the prosecutor to do something has increased," Assange's Swedish lawyer Per Samuelsson told AAP.

"The Court of Appeal, so to speak, warns the prosecutor 'If you don't go now we will cancel the custody decision the next time'.

"That's how you can interpret it."

Mr Samuelsson said the court was "cowardly" not to cancel the detention order outright but hopes the Supreme Court will act in due course.

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Assange loses appeal but gains hope

More than two years after Julian Assange sought protection at the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK, a Swedish court is still demanding he return to that country to face questioning in a sex crimes investigation.

Today a Swedish appeals court rejected Assanges request to rescind the warrant for his arrest.

In making this assessment, account must be taken of the fact that Julian Assange is suspected of crimes of a relatively serious nature, the court said in its statement today. There is a great risk that he will flee and thereby evade legal proceedings if the detention order is set aside. In the view of the court of appeal, these circumstances mean that the reasons for detention still outweigh the intrusion or other detriment entailed by the detention order.

The ruling forces Assange to remain inside the embassy or risk arrest and extradition to Sweden. But new pressures on Swedish prosecutors could force them to travel to London to interrogate him instead of requiring him to travel to Sweden. Assange has resisted going to Sweden for fear that he would face further extradition to the U.S. where a grand jury investigation is ongoing.

Last month, the UKs foreign minister threw a wrench into the matter when he announced that the British government would welcome a visit by Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny to question Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy rather than force him to go to Sweden for questioning.

These are matters for the [Swedish] prosecutor to decide on, but if she wished to travel here to question Mr Assange in the embassy in London, we would do absolutely everything to facilitate that, UK Foreign Minister Hugo Swire said. Indeed, we would actively welcome it.

The prosecutor was taken aback by the statement and told the Guardian that she would consider the statement and respond publicly soon.

Swire insisted that his statement did not amount to a change in the UKs position. He acknowledged, however, that the UK government might not have been clear about its stance in the past.

The appeals court in Sweden noted this matter in its ruling today, saying that the prosecutor had failed to examine alternative avenues for the investigation, which is not in line with their obligationin the interests of everyone concernedto move the preliminary investigation forward.

Assange has not been charged with any crime, but prosecutors got an arrest warrant issued for him after he left Sweden while the investigation was ongoing.

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Swedish Court Rejects Julian Assange’s Appeal to Dismiss His Arrest Warrant

Movement limited: Julian Assange has remained in Ecuador's London embassy since June 2012. Photo: AFP

Julian Assange will press a further legal appeal in Sweden's highest court after his lawyers failed to have an arrest warrant issued in 2010 revoked.

A Swedish appeals court on Thursday upheld a warrant the arrest of the WikiLeaks founder who is wanted for questioning by Swedish prosecutorsabout sexual assault and rape allegations first raised in August 2010.

The Svea appeals court upheld a decision by a lower court saying there was no reason to lift the arrest order because it could not be enforced owing to Ecuador's June 2012 decision to grant the Australian citizen asylum in its London embassy.

"There is no reason to set aside thedetention solely because Julian Assange is in an embassy and the detention order cannot be enforced at present for that reason," the court said in astatement."The court of appeal considers that Julian Assange's stay at the embassy shall not count in his favour since he can himself choose to bring his stay there to an end."

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Mr Assange was granted asylum by Ecuador on the grounds that he is at risk of extradition to the United States to face possible conspiracy or other charges arising from the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents by US soldier Chelsea Manning.

British police are on guard outside the embassy 24 hours a day, waiting to enforce a European arrest warrant so that Mr Assange can be extradited to Sweden.

Mr Assange's lawyers have argued that extradition to Sweden could facilitate his extradition to the US. The British and Swedish governments have declined to provide assurances that Mr Assange would not be extradited to the US.

Mr Assange has indicated his willingness to be interviewed at the Ecuadorean embassy but Swedish prosecutors have declined to take up the offer.

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Julian Assange to appeal arrest warrant decision

Pussy Riot answer questions after meeting Julian Assange
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Pussy Riot answer questions after meeting Julian Assange - Video

When Pussy Riot Met Julian Assange In London
Two members of the Russian punk band, Pussy Riot, have visited Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Sky #39;s Hind Hassan reports. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more ...

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When Pussy Riot Met Julian Assange In London - Video

Two members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot have visited Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The pair, who were jailed in 2012 for protesting against Russian president Vladimir Putin, say they share a similar desire for freedom as the Wikileaks founder.

"We have more in common than we expected," says Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina. "I think it's basic universal things about freedom of expression, if we're talking about us, and freedom information, if we are talking about him."

Alyokhina and fellow band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova captured the world's attention when they were arrested for performing an anti-Putin song in a church.

At the time Assange said there was unity between their oppression. Assange was granted asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Assange still insists accusations of sexual assault are part of a conspiracy to punish him for leaking classified government documents.

The Pussy Riot members are battling the Russian government and were vocal about Putin's early exit from the G20 summit in Australia.

"We think that Putin's behaviour at the end of the G20 summit was very performative and believe that world leaders like Putin are somehow taking this performative strategy that Pussy Riot championed some time ago," says Ms Tolokonnikova.

The two members say their opinions differed from Assange's on some topics, mainly political tactics.

But the biggest difference that remains is Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina are free to walk away.

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Pussy Riot meets Julian Assange

Julian Assange sought political asylum in the Ecuadors Lond embassy in June 2012. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Julian Assanges two-year stay in the Ecuadorian embassy has inspired a new BBC4 comedy called Asylum.

Created by Fonejacker star Kayvan Novak and producer Tom Thostrup, according to the BBC Asylum is a satirical comedy about a government whistleblower and a millionaire internet entrepreneur trapped together in a London embassy.

Assange sought political asylum in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid a perceived threat of extradition to the US for publishing military secrets. Swedish prosecutors want to question him about allegations of rape and sexual molestation, although he has not yet been charged.

Asylum will air early next year and is being made by 2LE, the independent production company behind prank E4 show The Work Experience.

Written by Thom Phipps and Peter Bowden, the comedy is part of a BBC season next year called Taking Liberties, celebrating 800 years of the Magna Carta and exploring democracy in the run-up to the general election.

The season will begin on 5 January with a four-part Radio 4 series on the Magna Carta, presented by Melvyn Bragg.

Other highlights include a day of live events under the title Democracy Day on 20 January the 750th anniversary of Englands first parliament plus a four-part BBC2 series by acclaimed political documentary-maker Michael Cockerell called Inside the Commons, in which he gets unique access to the inner workings of the institution, from clerks to MPs.

BBC3s contributions include Magna Carta 2.0, a documentary packed full of stunts, fun and comedy from The Revolution Will Be Televised comedian Jolyon Rubenstein.

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Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokkonikova said they found they had 'more in common than we expected' with Julian Assange. Photograph: Chris Williamson/Getty Images

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, two members of the Pussy Riot collective, have agreed to sit on the advisory board of an international whistleblower organisation of which Julian Assange is a trustee, after meeting the WikiLeaks founder at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The two women, who were imprisoned in Russia for protesting against Vladimir Putin and who are currently touring the UK, told reporters outside the embassy on Tuesday that they found they had more in common than we expected with Assange. The Australian has not left the embassy since June 2012 after seeking political asylum in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden to face accusations of sexual assault.

Assange had asked them to join the advisory board of the Courage Foundation, alongside the philosopher Slavoj iek, the Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and others, and they had accepted, the two women said. The organisation, of which Assange is one of three trustees, raises funds for the legal defence of whistleblowers around the world, including Edward Snowden.

Asked if there was any contradiction in members of a feminist collective pledging their support for a man who is wanted over sexual assault allegations, Tolokonnikova, speaking through a translator, said: We did not review this charge that has been directed at him. We do not think it is in relation to the things that he is doing right now.

We also try to see the direction of ones intentions in the future, what he is trying to do and is doing right now, added Alyokhina. Assanges legal team maintain that he has not been charged with any offence.

The women are in Britain to promote their campaign for prison reform in Russia, and an alternative news agency website called Mediazona, both of which they founded following their release from prison last December after 21 months in jail.

Alyokhina said they and Assange had a huge amount of things in common, particularly in relation to the Chelsea Manning case, which they considered one of the most important cases in todays world.

The handful of news organisations invited to cover their visit to the embassy did not include RT, the Russian Kremlin-backed broadcaster which hosted Assanges chatshow The World Tomorrow, which normally follows the Australians movements closely. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina have been outspoken in their criticism of the channel during their visit, dismissing it as a source of pro-Putin propaganda and saying: Some people on the left regard it as an alternative source of media but leftists in the west should realise its in no way a leftist channel.

They had raised the question of RT with Assange, said Alyokhina, and obviously we disagree with Julian Assange on the RT issue, but it is enough that we definitely agree with each other on the most basic and important things.

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Pussy Riot members join whistleblower foundation backed by Julian Assange