Swedish court sets date for Julian Assange rape case hearing

[dipsydoodle]

Prosecutors in Sweden pursuing Julian Assange over rape allegations have rejected a demand by his lawyers to hand over new evidence and withdraw the warrant for his arrest, setting the stage in two weeks' time for the first legal battle in the case since 2012.

In a sharply worded rebuttal, prosecutors stated that Assange does not have the right to see copies of the case files.

Lawyers for the WikiLeaks founder requested last week that text messages sent by his accusers be passed to the defence in an attempt to break the deadlock in the rape case brought four years ago against him.

"There is still probable cause to believe that Julian Assange is guilty of the offences that he was arrested for, and the basis for his detention, risk of flight, is undiminished," prosecutors Marianne Ny and Ingred Isgren said in a submission to Stockholm district court.

The court announced on Thursday that the two sides will present their arguments on 16 July in a public hearing – the first formal legal discussion of the case since Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in London two years ago.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/03/swedish-court-date-julian-assange-rape-case-hearing

[msanthrope]

1. He has no rights to evidence, as a fugitive, in any jurisdiction in the world.

When he shows up for his court date, he should be afforded all due process available to any defendant.