Copenhagen: A lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has resubmitted a request for a Stockholm court to drop a detention order relating to a possible sex crime in Sweden seven years ago.
Per E. Samuelsson says Assange wants to travel to Ecuador to seek political asylum because he fears otherwise he could be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges.
Samuelsson said today the US has made clear it wants Assange.
Last month, President Donald Trump said he would support any decision by the Justice Department to charge Assange.
Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012. He fears if he sets foot outside the embassy he will be arrested on the Swedish warrant and could then end up being extradited to the US.
Samuelsson said lifting the detention order wouldn’t stop the Swedish case going forward. Assange denies any wrongdoing.