Julian Assange loses High Court extradition appeal

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has lost his High Court appeal against extradition to Sweden to face questioning about sexual assault allegations.

Wikileaks editor Julian Assange (pictured in July) has lost his appeal against extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations. Photo credit: acidpolly/Flickr

Mr Justice Ouseley and Sir John Thomas handed down their judgment on Wednesday, which rejected Assange's appeal against extradition on all counts.

"In the result therefore we dismissed the appeal," said Justice Ouseley.

Assange, who was wearing a dark blue suit and grey tie, looked relatively calm as the judgment was delivered in the packed courtroom.

Assange had appealed on a four grounds: that the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) summoning him to Sweden had not been issued by a judicial authority; that the offences, including "rape", as set out in the EAW, were not offences in the UK; that Assange was only wanted for questioning and so was not "accused"; and that the EAW was disproportionate.

After dismissing the grounds for appeal, Ouseley and Thomas ordered that Assange pay court costs of approximately £19,000. One of Assange's defence barristers, Mark Summers, argued that Assange should not have to pay.

Supreme Court appeal

Assange's legal team has 14 days to seek leave from the High Court to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Assange and some of his supporters, including journalist John Pilger, told ZDNet UK at the Royal Courts of Justice that it hasn't been decided yet whether his legal team would seek leave for an appeal.

Outside the court, Assange gave a short statement criticising the use of the EAW in his case.

"We will be considering our next step in the days ahead," said Assange.

Ouseley and Thomas fixed a hearing in three weeks' time to hear submissions made by Assange's legal team, and whether they will seek leave for an appeal. Summers said the defence team will make submissions, "and they will be succinct". ZDNet UK understands that Assange's team is likely to make a bid for a Supreme Court appeal, but that they will have to show the appeal is in the public interest to be successful.

Assange's bail conditions have remained the same, ZDNet UK understands. The Wikileaks founder has been confined to Ellingham Hall in Norfolk under house arrest since December 2010. Vaughan Smith, the owner of Ellingham Hall and founder of the Frontline Club, told ZDNet UK at the court that he hoped Assange would be with him and his family for Christmas.

"It's very unclear to me as his host how long he will stay," said Smith. "Hopefully we will still have him this Christmas, as we had him last Christmas."

Smith said that he was "very disappointed" that the court had dismissed Assange's appeal. "It's sad to see it happened to a friend," said Smith, who added that Assange had "become an uncle-like figure in the family".