Wikileaks’ Julian Assange Loses Extradition Appeal to Sweden

The UK High Court ruled against an appeal by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to prevent his extradition to Sweden.

Two British judges on Wednesday rejected Assange’s attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over rape allegations.

Court officials indicated that Assange appears likely to move the matter to the Supreme Court, Britain’s highest court, in a final attempt to prevent his extradition.

"He has indicated that he plans to launch an appeal," a spokeswoman for the Judicial Office said on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to give her name.

There remains a possibility that the Supreme Court will refuse to hear Assange’s appeal, effectively making the extradition inevitable.

Assange and his followers maintain the Swedish rape charges are politically motivated, and denies any wrongdoing.

The judicial ruling is the latest setback for the Wikileaks founder, after an announcement last week that the organisation was suspending its publishing operations in an urgent effort to raise funds.

Assange told Al-Akhbar last week that major American companies, including Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, were waging an “arbitrary and unlawful financial blockade" against Wikileaks.

According to Assange, 95 percent of Wikileak's potential revenue has been blocked by the embargo.

(Al-Akhbar, AP)