Assange asks UK court to lift his arrest warrant, which is ‘theoretically possible’
London — After more than five years holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange is asking a UK court to lift his arrest warrant. A one-day hearing will take place at Westminster magistrates court and a ruling is scheduled to be issued on Friday, according to a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Assange has been in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since evading deportation amid Swedish sexual assault charges. Given the Swedish "proceedings have come to an end and the kind of warrant it is, the argument is it has no status because it’s attached to ongoing proceedings", Gareth Pierce, Assange’s lawyer, told journalists before the start of court Friday. It’s "theoretically possible" that Assange could be released Friday, the CPS spokesperson said. The hearing comes after reports that the Australian’s health has severely deteriorated. Ecuador granted Assange citizenship earlier this month after failed attempts at diplomacy with British officia...
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