Wikileaks’ Assange loses extradition appeal

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday lost his British High Court bid to block his extradition to Sweden, where he faces questions over rape allegations.

The Guardian reported that Lord Justice Thomas and Justice Ouseley handed down their judgment in Assange's appeal against a European arrest warrant issued by Swedish prosecutors.

The decision means Assange, who is Australian, could be sent to Sweden within 10 days, "though it is more likely to be around November 26".

Read more on GlobalPost: Wikileaks stops publishing to make ends meet

The High Court judges rejected Assange's claim that his extradition – over rape allegations made by two Swedish women following a visit to Stockholm by Assange in August 2010 – would be “unfair and unlawful’’.

In February, Assange lost an initial challenge to the extradition order when a British District Court judge found in favor of the Swedish authorities, saying there was no reason to believe that he would not receive a fair trial in Sweden.

His lawyers had argued that the Swedish case was legally flawed, and that the European arrest warrant failed to provide a "fair and proper" description of his alleged sexual misconduct.

The lawyers said there was a "judicial mismatch" between what was considered to be a sex crime in Sweden, compared with in England, and that Assange, who was arrested in Britain in December, was paying the price for this.

The BBC reported that Assange planned to appeal at the Supreme Court:

[His lawyers] now have 14 days to take the case to the highest court in the land, on the grounds that it raises issues of general public importance.

Assange denies any wrongdoing, and says his case is politically motivated. His lawyers have argued that Assange's extradition to Sweden could lead to him being sent to the United States, where a federal grand jury is investigating Wikileaks.

There have even been suggestions he could face the death penalty.