Interpol issues arrest notice for Wikileaks' Assange

Interpol issues arrest notice for Wikileaks' leader Julian Paul Assange
Interpol issues arrest notice for Wikileaks' leader Julian Paul Assange

Interpol has issued an arrest notice for Julian Paul Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, in the wake of the latest batch of leaks of thousands of US diplomatic secrets.

The international police organisation has issued what is called a Red Notice for the arrest of the Wikileaks' founder in connection with a sex crime investigation in Sweden.

Red alert

A Red Notice is a request for the provisional arrest of a fugitive, prior to a possible extradition to the nation that issued the warrant.

Assange is wanted in connection with an on-going investigation in Stockholm into rape, coercion and molestation accusations.

Interpol sends these notices to its 188 member countries, including Britain, where Assange is rumoured to be living right now.

Sex crime accusations

You can see the extract of Assange's arrest notice on Interpol's website, which states he is wanted for "sex crimes" by the International Public Prosecution Office in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Assange has filed an appeal to the Swedish Supreme Court, claiming that the sex crime complaints are the result of a US "smear campaign" targeting Wikileaks.

Assange's lawyer said of the sex crime charges: "All of these offers [to co-operate with local authorities when Assange was in Sweden] have been flatly refused by a prosecutor who is abusing her powers by insisting that he return to Sweden at his own expense to be subjected to another media circus that she will orchestrate.

"Pursuing a warrant in this circumstance is entirely unnecessary and disproportionate."

The US government is looking at ways of arresting Assange and Wikileaks on criminal charges according to The Washington Post.

Via Ars Technica

Adam Hartley