British judge says WikiLeaks founder can be extradited

CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Thu. Feb. 24 2011 9:51 AM ET
A ruling in Britain's High Court has pushed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange one step closer to being extradited to Sweden where authorities want to question him about sex crime allegations that emerged last year.

Judge Howard Riddle ruled Thursday that Sweden had acted properly in issuing an arrest warrant for Assange and that the allegations of rape and molestation by two women are extraditable offences.

On Thursday, Riddle stated that "there is simply no reason to believe there has been a mistake" about the arrest warrant that Assange is facing.

The judge also shot down claims by Assange's lawyers that their client would not face a fair trial if he was sent to Sweden.

Swedish authorities have been trying to force Assange to return to Sweden to face questioning about his contact with two women he met last summer. They say he has refused to submit to interviews about the allegations.

One woman has claimed that Assange had sex with her while she was asleep, an action that can constitute rape in Sweden. Assange is also accused of sexually assaulting another woman.

The WikiLeaks founder has denied all the claims against him and said that his sexual contact with the women in Sweden was completely consensual.

Outside court on Thursday, Assange renewed his rejection of the allegations saying that "they are simply untrue."

Speaking to reporters gathered in London, Assange also questioned the legitimacy of the extradition process he is facing, in light of the fact that he has "not been charged in any country."

Assange was arrested in December after the arrest warrant was issued. He was later granted bail and has been living in the English countryside while contesting the Swedish extradition bid.

Assange now has seven days to appeal Thursday's ruling, but a former U.S. diplomat says that he could end up stalling his extradition for months.

Stewart A. Baker, a former assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Assange is likely to appeal his case to every court that he can.

"There will be an appeal, but I think at the end of the appeal he's going to Sweden," Baker told CTV's Canada AM from Washington on Thursday morning.

Baker said that beyond the immediate appeal process, Assange can ask for a review of the ruling by Britain's Supreme Court or by the European Court of Human Rights.

In total the process could last months. Baker said it is likely that Assange will remain on bail as he continues to fight extradition to Sweden.

"It's a long process and it's going to be difficult for him to flee the country," said Baker.

David Landes, the editor of Sweden's English language news website The Local, said the case is being closely watched by the Swedish public.

"Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, this particular case, certainly enflame a lot of passions," Landes told CTV's Canada AM in a telephone interview from Stockholm on Thursday.

"There's a lot of people with very strong opinions about both the man, the website and the merits of this case."

Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the two women in Sweden said that the judge's decision had been expected.

"It's just too bad that it took so long," Borgstrom said Thursday. "(Assange) will probably appeal this decision for some reason that is hard to understand. He claims that he hasn't committed a crime so he should just come here and sort it out. I expect that he will be on Swedish soil before the summer."

Assange's Swedish lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, told The Associated Press he was preparing to represent his client.

"If he comes to Sweden I think he has great chances of being freed," Hurtig said. "And I'll be waiting for him, ready to fight for him tooth and nail."

Assange's WikiLeaks website has been slowly releasing a cache of more than 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables that it obtained without the consent of the U.S. government.

The website has been posting the cables online, giving the public a rare look at the way U.S. diplomats see the outside world and the comments they pass on to Washington.

Assange and his lawyers have suggested that Washington is likely to find a way to bring the WikiLeaks founder to justice in the United States.

But Baker said that it is not certain that Assange will be indicted in the U.S.

"The U.S. hasn't actually brought a case against Assange, they're still investigating and they may not find that there's evidence to justify a case, or they may not find evidence that justifies a case that is extraditable under U.K. or Swedish laws," said Baker.

With files from The Associated Press

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