Assange Lawyer Warns of 'Denial of Justice'

Prosecution rejects key defense arguments in extradition hearing
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 7, 2011 9:09 AM CST
Assange Lawyer Warns of 'Denial of Justice'
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protest outside Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London, Monday, Feb. 7, 2011.   (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Due to his global reputation and the secrecy that surrounds Swedish rape proceedings, Julian Assange faces a "denial of justice" if he’s extradited to Sweden on sex crime allegations, said a lawyer defending the WikiLeaks founder today at the start of a two-day extradition hearing. Such a trial would be “blatantly unfair, not only by British standards but by European standards and indeed by international standards," noted the lawyer.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor representing Sweden opened by refuting key claims made by the defense, including its assertion that Assange hasn’t been charged with a crime in Sweden and that he hasn’t been accused of rape according to the European and English legal definitions, the AP reports. Rape, prosecutors said, is an extraditable offense, and the Swedish offense “contains the core element of rape.”
(More Julian Assange stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X