WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lost his High Court bid to block extradition to Sweden where he faces sex crime allegations.
Two judges rejected claims that extraditing the 40-year-old Australian would be "unfair and unlawful". The Swedish authorities want him to answer accusations of "raping" one woman and "sexually molesting and coercing" another in Stockholm in August last year.
Assange, whose WikiLeaks website published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments and international businesses, denies the allegations and says they are politically motivated.
The High Court has upheld a ruling by District Judge Howard Riddle at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court, south London, in February that the computer expert should be extradited to face investigation.
Dressed in a navy blue suit and wearing a Remembrance Day poppy, the world's most famous whistleblower was mobbed as he approached the court building and police had to redirect him away from the crowd.
Fixed to the iron railings of the court were banners reading "Free Assange! Free Manning! End the wars". Bradley Manning is the detained American soldier alleged to have leaked hundreds of thousands of US diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks.
The judges ruled that the issuing of the European arrest warrant that led to Assange's arrest and all subsequent proceedings to achieve extradition were "proportionate". They dismissed Assange's argument that the warrant was invalid because it had been issued by a prosecutor, and not a "judicial authority".
The judges held the action of the prosecutor was subject to the independent scrutiny of Swedish judges, "which, as judges of another (EU) member state, we must respect". The court also rejected Assange's assertion that the descriptions of the offences were not a fair and accurate description of the conduct alleged against him.
Assange's legal team now has to consider whether to apply to take the case to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, on the grounds that it raises issues of general public importance.
Supporters outside the court said they were "outraged" by the judges' decision. Ciaron O'Reilly, 51, said: "Assange is probably the most amazing person in recent history who's upset so many powerful people in such a short space of time so it's obviously not a level playing field."
Source: Mirror
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