Assange's Lawyer Urges Sweden to Drop Arrest Warrant Against WikiLeaks Founder

A lawyer representing Julian Assange filed a request with Stockholm District Court on Wednesday calling for the WikiLeaks founder's arrest warrant over rape allegations to be torn up.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The plea comes after media reported last month that the US Department of Justice was ready to file charges against Assange for a 2010 leak of confidential federal documents and a recent release of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) secret files.

"The remand issue has to be reassessed on the basis that there is a real risk that the US wants him extradited. If the prosecutor wants to continue with her pre-trial investigation and bring charges that’s completely fine. The difference is it gives Assange the chance to leave Ecuador’s embassy and travel to Ecuador. The big difference is that Sweden would refrain from restricting his freedom of movement and give that back to him," Per E Samuelson told Swedish TT news agency, as quoted by The Local media outlet.

Assange had already tried to appeal the arrest warrant in September 2016, but his request was ultimately refused.

Assange has been residing at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 for fear of being extradited to Sweden over rape allegations. The WikiLeaks founder has denied the accusations. On December 4, 2015, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's (WGAD) ruled that Assange's detention order was arbitrary. The United Kingdom and Sweden have been refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the decision and end Assange's prosecution.