Assange arrest warrant for alleged rape upheld by Swedish court

An arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over claims he committed rape in 2010 has been upheld by a Swedish court today.

The standing warrant was issued by Swedish authorities in September 2010 for questioning in relation to one count of rape, one count of unlawful coercion and two counts of sexual molestation

"The district court finds that there is still probable cause for the suspicion against JA [Julian Assange] for rape, less serious incident, and that there is still a risk that he will depart or in some other way evade prosecution or penalty," the court said in a statement.

Forty-four-year-old Assange has denied allegations, claiming they were deliberately contrived as part of a smear campaign against him.

To avoid extradition to Sweden, Assange took shelter in Ecuador’s London embassy in 2012, where he remains.