U.K. rejects Assange's bid to reopen his case
by Associated Press, timesdispatch.comJune 15th 2012
LONDON -- Britain's Supreme Court rejected WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange's bid to reopen his extradition case on Thursday, meaning the controversial transparency campaigner could be sent to Sweden by the end of the month.
Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden after two women accused him of sexual misconduct during a visit to the country in mid-2010. His legal struggle to stay in Britain has dragged on for the better part of two years, clouding his website's work exposing the world's secrets.
In a brief, five-point judgment, the court rejected arguments that Assange's legal team hadn't been given the chance to properly cross-examine the evidence that justices relied on to deny the Australian's appeal against extradition.
Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer for Assange's accusers, said that Thursday's ruling is "an obvious and expected decision that has been delayed for too long."
The development effectively exhausts Assange's legal options in Britain. He could still apply to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, but legal experts say the 40-year-old stands little chance there.
Jennifer Robinson, Assange's attorney, said it wasn't clear whether he would try to get the European Court involved.
That's "still being considered," she said.
Assange denies wrongdoing in the Swedish case, saying that although he had sex with the women involved, it was consensual.
He and WikiLeaks' supporters have suggested the case was being manipulated to political ends by foes angered over the group's spectacular revelations.
The website has been responsible for the largest leaks of classified documents in U.S. history, among them some 250,000 State Department cables.
Original Page: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/jun/15/tdmain05-uk-rejects-assanges-bid-to-reopen-his-cas-ar-1989381/
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