WikiLeaks' founder Assange fights extradition to Sweden
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asked a British judge to block his extradition to Sweden on sex crime allegations, arguing he would not get a fair trial and could end up facing execution in the United States.
The 39-year-old Australian computer expert, who has infuriated the US government by releasing thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, is wanted in Sweden where two WikiLeaks volunteers allege sexual misconduct. Assange denies the allegations.
Assange's lawyer Geoffrey Robertson told a court in London that Assange would not be able to get a fair trial in Sweden because rape trials are usually held in private.
"You cannot have a fair trial when the press and the public are excluded from the court ... There is a real risk of flagrant violation of his rights," he said at the start of Assange's two-day extradition hearing.
In Stockholm, Swedish officials confirmed that rape trials in the country do normally take place behind closed doors.
Assange, wearing a dark suit and tie, was cheered by a small group of supporters as he was driven into the maximum security Belmarsh Magistrates' Court earlier.
About a dozen TV satellite trucks were parked outside and reporters from around the world queued to cover the hearing, reflecting the intense media interest in the WikiLeaks founder.
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