Julian Assange launches ‘final’ arrest appeal

Julian Assange with Ecuador's ambassador in London in 2013. Photo: TT

UPDATED: The Wikileaks founder's lawyers have asked Sweden's Supreme Court to throw out the European arrest warrant against him, on the grounds that his freedoms have been unreasonably restricted since he sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The move is the latest development in Julian Assange's long battle to fight extradition to Stockholm where he faces arrest following sex allegations made by two different Swedish women in 2010, claims which he denies.

Assange's defence team filed its submission to Sweden's Supreme Court at 4pm, one of his lawyers, Per Samuelson has revealed to The Local.

He said the Wikileaks founder's legal team had argued that the "severe limitations" on Assange's freedoms caused by his inability to leave the Ecuadorian embassy without fear of arrest were "unreasonable" and "disproportionate" to the case.

The team's submission also questioned the chief prosecutors in the case who Samuelson believes have been "passive for the last four years". In addition, the lawyers asked to be given access to some 100 text messages sent between the women who claim Assange assaulted them and to some of their friends.

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Julian Assange launches 'final' arrest appeal