30 May 2012

Assange loses fight against extradition to Sweden

9:27 pm on 30 May 2012

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has lost his Supreme Court fight against extradition to Sweden to face accusations of sex offences.

The judgement was reached by a majority of 5-2, the court's president, Lord Phillips, told the hearing.

Mr Assange's lawyers had asked Britain's highest court to block his removal, arguing that a European arrest warrant issued against him was "invalid".

However, the court ruled on Tuesday the extradition request had been "lawfully made", the BBC reports.

The 40-year-old Australian, who has been on conditional bail in Britain, did not attend the hearing in central London.

He is accused of raping one woman and "sexually molesting and coercing" another in Stockholm in August 2010, but claims that the allegations against him are politically motivated.

Lord Phillips said the point of law which had to be considered had not been simple to resolve.

The implementation of the judgement will be deferred for two weeks, while Mr Assange's lawyers consider the ruling and submit further applications to the court.