The presentation took place after last Thursday Judge Howard Riddle ruled yesterday to approve the extradition request of the Swedish authorities, which he described as "valid and reasonable".
The lawyers presented an argument to an administrative court to try to justify the continuation of the process. If he fails, the WikiLeaks founder could be sent to Sweden in just 10 days.
In his ruling, Riddle dismissed the defense's arguments, saying there was no reason to think Assange, 39, would not be tried fairly in Sweden or to fear that he could be handed over to the United States for treason. The magistrate then indicated that the Swedish judicial system is strong enough to consider that the creator of WikiLeaks will face a trial with guarantees.
In announcing his ruling, Riddle also noted that the statements of the two women who filed the complaints against Assangre reflected that there was no consent to the sexual relationship and stated that in the United Kingdom one of those allegations would also be considered rape. That clarification was due to the fact that one of the legal requirements in this country to give the green light to a European arrest warrant is that in British national law the crime for which the extradition of the accused is requested can be equated.
If the appeal request is successful, the case must be settled within a maximum of 40 days. The sentence reached can then be appealed to the Supreme Court, but only if it calls into question the letter of the law. "The chances of this happening are quite remote," said Michael Caplan, the Crown's adviser on extradition issues.
Assange, whose website revealed thousands of confidential U.S. cables, was arrested in London on Dec. 7 at the request of the Gothenburg prosecutor's office. The British courts granted him provisional release on 16 December, but under restrictive conditions.
AFP and EFE Agencies
Source: La Nación
