Sweden seeks Interpol arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder

PARIS - The international crime fighting organisation Interpol said Saturday it has received an arrest warrant application from Sweden seeking the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The Lyon, France-based Interpol said in the so-called Red Notice application, Sweden had not officially authorized the disclosure of its contents and so under Interpol rules media queries about it would not be answered.

The disclosure comes two days after a Swedish court ordered Assange’s detention on prosecutors’ allegations of “rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion”.

The Swedish prosecutors’ allegations stem from an investigation after complaints made by two women in August, when Assange was in Sweden for the publication of thousands of leaked Pentagon war papers relating to the Afghan conflict.

According to Assange’s British lawyer, Mark Stephens, Assange is currently staying in London and rejects the allegations.

Via his Swedish lawyer Bjorn Hurtig, Assange was appealing the Swedish court decision seeking his arrest.