Julian Assange-Legal Troubles

The International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol, added Assange to its worldwide wanted list for ''sex crimes,'' stating that a warrant had been issued from the international public prosecution office in Gothenburg, Sweden. What Interpol has issued is a ''Red Notice'' for Assange's arrest. The Red Notice acts like a wanted poster, sent to 188 countries who are members. Interpol cannot, however, compel Assange's arrest. Assange was ordered ''detained in absentia'' by a Swedish judge in mid November, an order that Assange's lawyer appealed and lost and then appealed again. Red Notices are treated differently by different countries. While some will take the Red Notice as a request for arrest, others, like the United States, do not.

The European and international arrest warrant issued for Assange are in connection with allegations of rape. Though Marianne Ny, the director of public prosecutions in Stockholm, says that ''so far, we have not been able to meet with [Assange] to accomplish the interrogation,'' Assange does admit to having consensual, albeit unprotected, sex with two women while in Sweden in August. One woman claims to have been pinned down by Assange and raped without a condom, and another woman claimed that while Assange was a guest at her Stockholm home he had sex with her without a condom while she was asleep.

All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

Search Career Advice

It is interesting to note that in August of 2010, Sweden had issued a warrant for Assange's arrest on charges of rape and then, the following day, withdrew it. Swedish prosecutors, at the time, said that the original warrant had been based on unfounded accusations. Eva Finne, chief prosecutor, had said, ''I don't think there is a reason to suspect that he has committed rape.'' However, Assange was still suspected of ''molestation'' by Swedish law, which is considered a lesser crime. There has been some speculation now that the accusations arising lately are part of a smear campaign against the Wikileaks founder. Assange's lawyers say the women only made the claims after they had found out Assange had slept with both of them. Others report that the two women were never intending to bring charges against Assange at all, but only intending to track him down in order to have him tested for sexually transmitted diseases as Assange had gone into hiding shortly after their last contact with him.

• Search Legal Jobs
• Search Articles
• Employer Listing

United States

Search jobs

All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

Search Career Advice

Select In-House Law Firms Government Recruiters Public Interest

Search Employer

In early December Assange surrendered to Scotland Yard after Sweden officially issued a warrant for his arrest. He was freed from jail on $310,000 bail. Most recently, Assange's camp has admitted that the likelihood of these allegations being fabricated to put Assange on trial by the media is very low. The Swedish WikiLeaks coordinator stated, "This is a normal police investigation. Let the police find out what actually happened. Of course, the enemies of WikiLeaks may try to use this, but it begins with the two women and Julian. It is not the CIA sending a woman in a short skirt."