LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would be tried behind closed doors in a “flagrant denial of justice” if extradited to Sweden over sex crime allegations, his lawyer told a British court Monday. The 39-year-old Australian appeared at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in southeast London at the start of a two-day hearing. Swedish prosecutors want to question the whistleblowing website's chief over allegations of sexual assault and rape made by two women, but Assange claims the moves are politically motivated. His lawyer Geoffrey Robertson said in his opening arguments that a rape trial in Sweden would violate Assange's human rights. “He would be tried behind closed doors in a flagrant denial of justice,” he told a packed courtroom at Britain's highest-security court complex. “The Swedish custom and practice of throwing the press and public out of court when rape trials begin is one that we say is blatantly unfair, not only by British standards but also by European standards,” Robinson added. Assange's lawyers were also expected to argue that the extradition request is unacceptable because he has not been charged with any crime. A decision is not expected Tuesday, with the judge expected to defer his ruling until later this month. – Agence France
