Tuesday, December 7, 2010

WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange appears in court over Swedish rape claims after handing himself in to British police

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:54 PM on 7th December 2010

Assange walked into London police station at 9.30am this morning
He arrived at court at 12.55pm and and appeared before a judge at 2pm
Heiress Jemima Khan said she would assure his bail
Scotland Yard acted after arrival of European arrest warrant documents
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates hails arrest as 'good news'
Latest cables reveal U.S. plans to defend Poland

http://watchingyouwatchingyme-steelmagnolia.blogspot.com/2010/12/assanga-and-situation-in-sweden.html

Julian Assange today appeared in court after being arrested by British police over alleged sexual offences in Sweden.

The WikiLeaks founder, 39, told a district judge at Westminster Magistrates Court that he refused to be voluntarily extradited to face the four charges.

His appearance prompted a media scrum outside the court and among those attending the session was heiress Jemima Khan, who said she would assure Mr Assange's bail.

Arrival: Julian Assange is driven into Westminster Magistrates Court in London after being arrested today

The Australian, who gave his Queensland address when asked in court, was whisked into the complex by an unmarked police car an hour earlier at about 1pm this afternoon.

He had walked into a London police station at 9.30am this morning and was immediately arrested over demands that he is sent to Sweden to face questioning over the rape allegations.

It comes after Scotland Yard officers finally took receipt of the correct paperwork for a European Arrest Warrant yesterday.

U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates today said the arrest 'sounds like good news' while Downing Street was more tempered, describing the incident as 'entirely a matter for police'.

Scrum: Reporters and cameramen suuround a police van that led Mr Assange into the court compound

Westminster Magistrates Court: Mr Assange will appear here before an extradition judge after 2pm

WikiLeaks today said Mr Assange's arrest will not stop further U.S. diplomatic cables being released. A spokesman added: 'This will not change our operation.'

His lawyer Mark Stephens said: ‘Julian Assange has been the one in hot pursuit to vindicate himself to clear his good name.

‘He has been trying to meet with her (the Swedish prosecutor) to find out what the allegations are he has to face and also the evidence against him, which he still hasn't seen.’

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Meanwhile, PostFinance, the financial arm of the Swiss post office, said it had closed Mr Assange's account after he provided ‘false information’.

The bank said he falsely claimed to live in Geneva and people who do not live in Switzerland cannot hold accounts. WikiLeaks used the account for donations.

The sex case is Mr Assange's most pressing legal issue, but may not be his last as several countries chew over the impact of his diplomatic cable disclosures.

He has come under growing pressure after his WikiLeaks site started publishing excerpts from a cache of 250,000 secret messages.

Former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has described him as ‘an anti-American operative with blood on his hands’.

Senior Republican Mike Huckabee said that ‘anything less than execution is too kind a penalty’.

WikiLeaks was forced to move to a Swiss host after being dumped by U.S. internet companies as it comes under siege from a series of cyber attacks.

Wanted: Details of Interpol's arrest warrant are provided on its website. He is wanted by police in Gothenburg

Important to U.S. security: Three BAE systems sites were in confidential documents published on WikiLeaks (file picture)

Meanwhile, all Government departments have been asked by national security adviser Sir Peter Ricketts to review their computer security.

The whistlelowing website sparked unprecedented anger by yesterday revealing a classified catalogue of installations including defence plants, satellite facilities and undersea cables in Britain.

Denial: Mark Stephens, Mr Assange's lawyer, said his client wanted to know what evidence Swedish police have

They were among hundreds of key industries and infrastructure identified across the world that Washington believes is vital to its national security.
It was the latest tranche of U.S. diplomatic cables to be released since the website began to drip 250,000 leaked files on to its website.
On a day of dramatic developments:

The Swiss post office bank, PostFinance, froze Mr Assange’s accounts – containing defence fund and personal assets worth 31,000 euros – for giving false information regarding his home.

Home Secretary Theresa May admitted all Government departments had been ordered to review their computer security by national security adviser Sir Peter Ricketts.

And the U.S. attorney general Eric Holder said he would examine U.S. laws over a possible prosecution for releasing the sensitive official files.

Among the sensitive locations revealed by the WikiLeaks site were three facilities owned British arms and aerospace manufacturer BAE.