Friday, February 25, 2011

Rape allegations: Assange may be extradited to Sweden

Wikileaks-founder Julian Assange may be extradited to Sweden. A London court ruled on Thursday the extradition request of the Swedish authorities, based on a European arrest warrant was lawful, must Assange where they handle the investigation by the Prosecutor. It is based on an EU-wide arrest warrant, which had obtained Sweden.

The Swedish Justice Assange suspected of rape, among other things, but so far no charges brought against him. Assange announced to defend themselves by means of an appeal against the extradition. Then he had to renew his bail so he can continue to remain exempt from arrest in Britain. The Swedish investigation concerning crimes such as sexual assault and rape, and based on the testimony of two women, both of whom were known to Assange during his stay in Stockholm.


Both witnesses said they Assange went beyond the border first consensual sexual acts. The lawyers of the native Australian Assange applied during the extradition hearing in favor of their clients that his alleged actions would meet in the UK not the offense of rape, moreover, the state prosecutor in Sweden was not entitled to a European arrest warrant in the present to request the case.

The British judges followed this argument in its ruling. He noted that the debt charges were in any case serious enough to justify an extradition request, the rape charge in English law would also be accused of rape and negotiated. The judge ruled, moreover, heard the suggestion of the Swedish authorities, Assange on home soil, is "not unreasonable", also is no question that Assange had for such a survey "not provided", the judge left open the question whether that refusal was to evaluate as an escape, or not.

However, he criticized the statements of Assange Swedish lawyer who was admitted in the London proceedings only vaguely, that the Swedish judiciary tried very early to ask Assange. The British judge accused Assange lawyer, so he had a deliberate misleading of the Court committed. The court also rejected accusations Assange, according to him in Sweden for a hostile atmosphere is not due process and expect that also because of the many revelations of Assange responsible for the Wikileaks page with extradition to the United States was expected.

The London judge stated that even if had the Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeldt Assange in a citation as "public enemy number one" means, could it not a legal bias of the Swedish authorities concluded. Outside the court in London on Thursday gathered followers of Assange and showed "free Let Julian Assange and Bradley Manning" banners reading.

The American soldier Manning should have Wikileaks leaked secret documents about the war in Iraq and is currently waiting in a military prison in Virginia for his trial.

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