A decision on the extradition of WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange from the UK to Sweden will be announced by a London court on February 24, even as his lawyers doubted a fair trial in the Scandinavian country.
Belmarsh Magistrate's Court announced the date at the end of the three-day long hearing on Friday. The extradition trial of Assange, accused of sexual assault in Sweden, was adjourned. The court will deliver its verdict on February 24. In the extradition case, spotlight turned on Swedish law. Assange's lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson, argued that inflammatory remarks by the Swedish prime minister have made Assange "public enemy No. 1" in Sweden and that bias against him would preclude him from receiving a fair trial. He requested that the judge refuse to extradite Assange.
Robertson also asked for the trial to be adjourned so that he could bring in witnesses from Sweden to testify on the effect of the Swedish prime minister's comments on the public opinion of Assange. That request was denied. According to Robertson, Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt also "accused Assange of claiming women's rights are worthless" and described his comments as "devastating vilification."
Earlier
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