Assange ‘Declines’ Call to Go to London Police Station for Extradition

Asylum Law Trumps Extradition Law, WikiLeaks Founder Notes

Despite a demand early today from British police that he show up at a London Police Station “at a date and time of our choosing,” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he will not do so, citing legal advice.

Our advice is that asylum law both internationally and domestically takes precedence over extradition law so almost certainly not,” Assange said of his chances of actually showing up at a police station. His spokeswoman later confirmed he wasn’t going, saying the legal advice was to allow the asylum process to play out first.

Two weeks ago the British Courts rejected Assange’s last appeal to avoid extradition to Sweden as “without merit,” and he is currently in the Ecuador Embassy in London awaiting on decision on whether the South American nation will grant him asylum.

Sweden is seeking Assange in relation to sex charges, but his lawyers have argued that Sweden might subsequently “trade” Assange to the US, where officials have called him a “terrorist” and called for his execution. Britain would never extradite him to the US, but apparently will do so to Sweden, which is why asylum is being sought.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.