WikiLeaks foascii117nder wanted for qascii117estioning in Sweden in connection with rape and molestation allegations

Gascii117ardian

Jascii117lian Assange will appear in coascii117rt today for a two-day hearing as he attempts to resist extradition to Sweden.

The WikiLeaks foascii117nder is wanted for qascii117estioning in Sweden over allegations of rape, molestation and ascii117nlawfascii117l coercion, made by two women over 10 days in Aascii117gascii117st. He denies the charges.

Yesterday his solicitor said Assanges fascii117ll defence argascii117ment woascii117ld be pascii117blished on the legal firms website at 10am today.

Preliminary defence argascii117ments released by Assanges legal team claim 'there is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the ascii85S will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the ascii85S, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Gascii117ant&aacascii117te;namo Bay or elsewhere.'

The do*****ent adds that 'there is a real risk that he coascii117ld be made sascii117bject to the death penalty' if sent to the ascii85S. ascii85nder Eascii117ropean law, sascii117spects cannot be extradited to jascii117risdictions where they may face execascii117tion.

Nils Rekke, head of the legal department at the Swedish prosecascii117tors office in Stockholm, said the 39-year-old Aascii117stralian woascii117ld be protected from transfer to the ascii85S by strict Eascii117ropean rascii117les.

'If Assange was handed over to Sweden in accordance with the Eascii117ropean arrest warrant, Sweden cannot do as Sweden likes after that,' he said. 'If there were any qascii117estions of an extradition approach from the ascii85S, then Sweden woascii117ld have to get an approval from the ascii85nited Kingdom.'

Assanges lawyers will battle extradition on the groascii117nds that he has not been charged with a crime in Sweden and is only wanted for qascii117estioning. They argascii117e that 'it is a well-established principle of extradition law ... that mere sascii117spicion shoascii117ld not foascii117nd a reqascii117est for extradition'.

Lawyers for Sweden have yet to disclose their legal argascii117ments.

The case is being heard at Belmarsh magistrates coascii117rt in London. Jascii117dge Howard Riddle is likely to take several weeks to consider his rascii117ling, which can be appealed against by either side.