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(on 2015-01-26)

Sweden faces action at UN Human Rights Council over Assange

Monday January 26, 08:00 AEST

On Monday, 26 January 2015, Sweden must respond to UN Human Rights Council concerns about its attempted extradition without charge of Julian Assange, who is now in his fifth year of effective detention in the UK.

Mr Assange was granted asylum by the Republic of Ecuador in August 2012 due to the ongoing attempts by the US government to bring a "conspiracy to commit espionage" prosecution against him over his role as the editor of WikiLeaks. Sweden and the UK continue to obstruct Mr Assange's asylum.

Although Assange has asylum due to the ongoing attempts by the US to bring an espionage prosecution against him in his role as the publisher of WikiLeaks, UK police have surrounded the Ecuadorian Embassy for the past two and a half years, ready to arrest him. Although the UK says it will arrest him even if Sweden drops its case, the primary reason the government of the United Kingdom gives for surrounding the embassy with police is that Sweden also wants Mr Assange's extradition.

Sweden, in breach of its obligations, has refused to offer any guarantee that Mr Assange will not be extradited to the US – wilfully disrespecting his asylum rights – refuses to charge him, interview him, or otherwise wind up its "preliminary investigation", which is the technical basis for its extradition request.

The Universal Periodic Review report for Sweden included input from the 59 international organisations that sent submissions condemning Sweden's actions against Mr Assange, including his continued detention without charge, its contribution to the ongoing obstruction of his asylum, and its violation of his fundamental human rights. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights summarised three complaints on Assange's case within the report. As a sign of the strength of concern, Mr Assange's case is mentioned specifically by name, which is unusual in the diplomatic world of the UNHRC.

Swedish authorities refuse to follow standard practice and speak to Mr Assange in the UK or by telephone. Recognising the injustice of extradition without charge, in 2014 the UK Parliament explicitly banned the practice, but the UK government says that it would be retrospective to apply the modifications in law that his case triggered to Mr Assange. In November 2014 a Swedish judge reprimanded the Sweden Prosecution Authority's actions as "not in line with their obligation". Mr Assange has not been charged with any crime in Sweden.

Judge Baltasar Garzón, who is the Legal Director for Julian Assange's legal team, will be at the UN on 26 January to speak to the press following Sweden's response.

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