Not yet uhuru for WikiLeaks founder Assange as UK court upholds his warrant of arrest

It is a yet uhuru for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after a judge in the UK upheld his arrest warrant, meaning that he could still be arrested if he left Ecuador’s embassy in London.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy to avoid being extradited to Sweden for alleged sex crimes but Sweden later shelved its investigation against him.

However, Judge Emma Arbuthnot who presided over the case said Assange should have the courage to face the consequences of breaking the law.

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The presiding judge also said that by jumping bail Assange had made “a determined attempt to avoid the order of the court”.

She added: “He appears to consider himself above the normal rules of law and wants justice only if it goes in his favour.”

The ruling by the UK court come weeks after the 46-year-old Australian was granted citizenship by Ecuador which has offered him refuge at its embassy in London since 2012.

 

 

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