LONDON, U.K. - Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, who lost an extradition case last month in the British Supreme Court, has asked the high court Tuesday to reopen his case.
The British Supreme Court in London ruled 5 to 2 against Assange on May 30. According to the ruling, Assange was given two weeks to submit an appeal before he was extradited to Sweden where he is accused of rape and sexual assault.
As expected Assange's lawyer Dinah Rose, filed for repeal today. According to the Supreme Court Spokesman, Ben Wilson, the court can refuse to reopen the case if they choose. The case has been going on for two years now.
Assange, 40, has been under conditional bail since his arrest in Dec. 2010 when two female co-workers at Wikileaks alleged that he had committed these sex crimes. Assange denies these allegations and claims they are politically motivated.
However, the extradition case has little to do with these allegations, and instead is a question of the validity of the extradition warrant issued to him. Assange's arrest was warranted by prosecutors, not a judge or magistrate. Assange's team argues that according to the European arrest warrant and the Extradition Act of 2003, only "judicial authorities" can establish arrest warrants. These authorities do not include prosecutors and therefore the extradition is not valid. The Justices did not agree.
Assange rose to fame in 2010 when he leaked a number of U.S. diplomatic cables and videos regarding the war in Iraq and Afghanistan through his co-founded online organization Wikileaks. The organization stirred great derision from Washington and other countries whose secrets were divulged. Assange and his team argue that there is foul play in the alleged sex crimes allegations and that these accusations are sponsored by a number of upset politicians.
