Assange can be extradited: court

LONDON: Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden in a sex crimes inquiry, a British judge ruled on Thursday, rejecting claims by the WikiLeaks founder that he would not face a fair trial there. Mr. Assange's lawyer said he would appeal.

Judge Howard Riddle said the allegations of rape and sexual molestation by two women against Mr. Assange meet the definition of extraditable offences and said the Swedish warrant had been properly issued and was valid.

Mr. Assange (39), a key figure in the release of tens of thousands of secret U.S. government and military documents, has been out on bail during the extradition fight. He has seven days to appeal the ruling in British courts.

After hearing three days of testimony this month, Mr. Justice Riddle concluded “there is simply no reason to believe there has been a mistake” about the European Arrest Warrant issued by Swedish authorities.

In his ruling, the judge dismantled the defence case against extradition point by point.

He rejected the claim that comments made against Mr. Assange by Swedish prosecutors and politicians would pervert the course of justice.

Mr. Assange's lawyers also said Sweden's custom of hearing rape cases behind closed doors meant he would not get a fair trial, but Mr. Justice Riddle said the practice was common in Sweden.

Mr. Assange's lawyers have questioned Sweden's judicial process and expressed concern their client risks being handed over to the United States, which is investigating whether Mr. Assange and WikiLeaks have violated U.S. laws by distributing secret government documents.

The judge said it was wrong for the defence to raise the question of a possible extradition to the U.S. or the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, given the absence of any evidence that Mr. Assange risks torture or execution. The Swedish case stems from charges of sexual misconduct made against Mr. Assange by two women after he visited Sweden last August. Lawyers for Sweden have argued that authorities made repeated attempts to interview Mr. Assange while he was in Scandinavia, to no avail.

In Sweden, Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the two women, said the decision had been expected.

Vaughan Smith, the founder of the Frontline Club who has been hosting Assange at his country estate, said the ruling was “disappointing”. — AP