WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lost a court battle Wednesday in the United Kingdom over whether he will be extradited to Sweden to face sex crime allegations. Assange has been implicated in the alleged rape of one woman and the molestation of another. Assange has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case politically motivated by those opposed to his work. The dispute involves an unnamed woman who agreed to have sex with Assange if he wore a condom. The allegation is that he then had unprotected sex with her while she was asleep, when she was not in a position to consent.
There will be another hearing to determine whether he can appeal. Assange’s lawyers have suggested the possibility that if he is extradited to Sweden, they could hand him over to the United States. The prosecutor from Sweden dismissed that claim. Assange is on the wrong side of U.S. authorities for disclosing classified information on his WikiLeaks website.
