ReutersFIGHTING EXTRADITION: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in London.
an expert in Swedish law says the sexual assault case launched against Julian Assange has been “extremely peculiar” and the Australian has been unfairly labelled a rapist around the world.
Prosecutors are seeking to extradite the 39-year-old WikiLeaks founder from the UK to Sweden to answer sexual assault allegations reported by two women to have occurred in August last year.
Assange denies the allegations, which include that he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another, using violence.
outside court, Assange told reporters: “Five-and-a-half months we have been in a condition where a black box has been applied to my life.
“On the outside of that black box has been written the word rape, that box is now, thanks to an open court process, being opened.
“And I hope that over the next day that we will see that box is in fact empty and has nothing to do with the words that are on the outside of it.
“We have seen that today and I would like to thank my supporters and my lawyers for continuing to help me.
“A process like this surely lets you understand who your friends are.”
Assange’s lawyers have said that if sent to Sweden, their client will face questioning from authorities regarding the release of secret government documents on the WikiLeaks site and that it is possible he will then be extradited to the United States, where he is under investigation for his website operations.
on Monday (local time) during the first of a two-day extradition hearing in London, prosecutors said Assange’s rights would be ensured if he was extradited.
Defence counsel called the first witness, former Swedish appeals court judge turned academic Brita Sundberg-Weitman.
“I think it has from the very beginning it has been extremely peculiar,” the heavily accented Ms Sundberg-Weitman said.
in Sweden, she said, Assange’s guilt has already been decided and he has been labelled a “coward” for failing to return and answer the allegations.
“It’s rather hostile,” she said of the Swedish attitude towards Assange.
“And I think most people take it for granted that he has raped two women.”
the former judge, now an associate professor at Stockholm University, was also critical of the team prosecuting Assange, led by Marianne Ny.
“She has her own, rather-biased view against men in the treatment of sexual offence cases,” Ms Sundberg-Weitman said of Ms Ny.
“They seem to take it for granted that everyone under prosecution is guilty. I honestly can’t understand her attitude. It looks malicious … I think maybe she wants to make him suffer.”
Assange’s lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson QC, summarised her comments: “What she (Ms Ny) wants to do is to get (Assange) to Sweden because she wants to arrest him no matter what he says?”
“It would be expected that if he is returned on this warrant that he would not only be held in custody, but be held incommunicado?”
Ms Sundberg-Weitman agreed with both points.
if extradited, Assange would be exposed to a “flagrant denial of justice”, Mr Robertson said.
the hearing continues on Tuesday.
– AP
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested Tuesday on a Swedish warrant, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
