Swedish Court Orders Arrest Warrant for WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange on Allegations of Rape and Sexual Molestation

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(VOA) A Swedish court has ordered the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on allegations of rape and sexual molestation.
The court order, issued Thursday, followed a request from Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny who is trying to bring Assange in for questioning in the case.
Swedish prosecutors also will seek an international arrest warrant for Assange, who often travels from country to country, staying with supporters.
Assange has denied the rape and molestation charges, which are based on his encounters with two women in August. He has said the allegations are part of a smear campaign.
A statement Thursday from Assange's counsel, Mark Stephens, says both women have declared they had consensual sexual relations with Assange. Stephens also says the "rape" allegation has caused Assange and his organization "irreparable harm."
The secretive and nomadic Assange has no permanent address. In October he was denied a residency permit in Sweden.
In a letter released by WikiLeaks Thursday, Assange's Swedish counsel, Bjorn Hurtig, says Assange received permission from the Swedish prosecutor in September to leave Sweden in order to do business. He notes that Assange did not leave to avoid the Swedish justice system.
Since 2006, WikiLeaks has published almost a half-million secret U.S. documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Assange angered the Pentagon by revealing the classified documents, which were leaked to the organization.

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