Judge orders Julian Assange extradition, appeal likely

A DAMNING CRITIQUE of Julian Assange's defence team's arguments preceded presiding Judge Howard Riddle's decision that the Wikileaks founder can be extradited to Sweden for questioning.

Assange is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual molestation by two Swedish women, but his defence team is expected to appeal. However in his summing up of his decision, Judge Riddle, a senior district judge at Belmarsh magistrate's court, knocked down every one of Assange's defence arguments and criticised the witnesses' testimony. The judge's decision can be found here.

In his ruling Riddle says, "In fact as I am satisfied that extradition is compatible with the defendant's Convention rights, I must order that Mr Assange be extradited to Sweden."

Riddle concluded that the Swedish public prosecutor Marianne Ny was authorised to submit a European arrest warrant, that the warrent itself is valid despite being only for questioning and not prosecution, that the alleged sex crimes would also be crimes under UK law and that secret testimony in Swedish rape trials does not contravene the Euroepan Convention on Human Rights. Riddle also dismissed the claim that extradition to Sweden would lead to extradition to the USA.

Various tweets from the court reported that Assange's team has seven days to appeal. It is not clear if Assange's bail will be rescinded. The tweets also report that the Judge has taken a break while bail details are sorted out. The INQUIRER will update this story once the bail decision has been taken.

Assange has been released on bail. µ