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Sweden requests arrest of WikiLeaks boss
A SWEDISH prosecutor says she has requested the arrest of Julian Assange, the Australian founder of whistleblower website WikiLeaks, for questioning in a rape and sexual molestation case."I request the District Court of Stockholm to detain Mr Assange in his absence, suspected of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion," Swedish director of prosecutions Marianne Ny said. "The reason for my request is that we need to interrogate him. So far, we have not been able to meet with him to accomplish the interrogations." The Stockholm court was set to hold a hearing on whether to order Mr Assange's detention, which according to Swedish media would allow authorities to issue an international warrant for his arrest. A warrant was first issued for Mr Assange's arrest on August 20 by another prosecutor, but was later withdrawn. Ms Ny re-opened the rape probe against the 39-year-old on September 1, but did not request his detention and allowed him to leave Sweden. Mr Assange has said the allegations against him are part of a "smear campaign" aimed at discrediting his website, which is locked in a row with the Pentagon over the release of secret US documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Posted by: tipper 2010-11-18 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=309952 |