Swedish prosecuters plan to issue an international arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, after a court today approved their request to detain him over rape and molestation allegations.

Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny said she will seek his arrest via Interpol, AP reports.

Assange again denied the allegations today through his London lawyers.

"Despite his right to silence, my client has repeatedly offered to be interviewed, first in Sweden, and then in the UK (including at the Swedish Embassy), either in person or by telephone, videoconferencing or email and he has also offered to make a sworn statement on affidavit," said Mark Stephens.

"All of these offers have been flatly refused by a prosecutor who is abusing her powers by insisting that he return to Sweden at his own expense to be subjected to another media circus that she will orchestrate."

Stephens' full statement is here.

The allegations surround Assange's encounters with two Swedish women in summer. His current whereabouts are unknown, though in recent months he is understood to have stayed mostly with friends in the UK.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/18 ... _interpol/

In a sense, and if you've been following this case, the Swedish authorities don't deserve to win even if he is genuinely guilty

Can anyone smell the handy work of the US Defence department?

Wow, trumped up charges, he's offered time and again to make a statement and be interviewed. I wonder what little trinkets the US dangled in front of the Swedish authorities to get them to take this stance?

I must confess that the other thought that crossed my mind was it gave him the perfect defence if he had actually done it, as it would basically allow him to state that all evidence presented had been faked.

I still reckon the US is up to something though.

Well, yes. I kind of get that myself.

When are they not up to something?

It’s a constant state of being for them. Paranoid interfering with other states’ citizens.

That's okay. They have the TSA to interfere with their own citizens...