WikiLeaks founder granted extradition appeal in UK

Britain's Supreme Court said Friday it had agreed to hear WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's appeal against extradition to Sweden over sex crimes allegations.        

The court said a panel of three judges had considered a written submission and granted a two-day appeal beginning Feb. 1, meaning there is no prospect of Assange being sent to Stockholm until at least next year.          

In a statement, the court said it had "decided that seven justices will hear the appeal given the great public importance of the issue raised, which is whether a prosecutor is a judicial authority."          

Assange's legal team argue that police and prosecutors  like the Swedish prosecutor seeking to bring Assange back to the country for questioning  are not a proper judicial authority, and shouldn't have the right to order extraditions.            

Earlier this month, High Court judges John Thomas and Duncan Ouseley said Assange could apply to the Supreme Court to argue that point and seek to prove that Europe's process of carrying out extradition was flawed.           

AP