Julian Assange: Swedish court rejects appeal to lift arrest warrant

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