Julian Assange to appeal arrest warrant decision

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