Sweden refuses to revoke Assange arrest warrant

A Swedish court has decided not to drop an arrest warrant against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The organisation asked the Swedish legal authorities to revoke the arrest warrant following a decision by a United Nations working group that he was being unlawfully detained.

Mr Assange has been living inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for more than three years, believing that if he travels to Sweden he will be taken to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks.

A statement from Mr Assange's legal team said: "In defiance of the UN, Sweden's lowest court is keeping Assange detained.

"We are appealing and are confident Sweden's higher courts will enforce its international obligations and put an end to this terrible injustice, which has seen Mr Assange detained, without charge, for the last five and half years."