Assange’s lawyers set to publish entire extradition defence online
By ANIMonday, February 7, 2011
LONDON - As WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange begins his court battle against extradition to Sweden, his lawyers are all set to take the unprecedented step of publishing its entire defence online.he 39-year-old Australian is appearing before magistrates in Belmarsh, east London, for what is expected to be a two-day hearing to determine his fate.
“We’re intending to put our defence argument on my firm’s home page,” the Telegraph quoted Assange’s solicitor Mark Stephens, as saying.
“You will see some pretty fundamental challenges to the European Arrest Warrant scheme,” he said.
Assange, who is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Sweden in 2010, has not been charged and is only wanted for questioning.
The defence will also claim Assange’s life will be in danger if he is extradited to Sweden.
“There is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the US will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere…there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty,” stated an outline of the defence case already published by his legal team. (ANI)
