Swedish court upholds Julian Assange arrest warrant

STOCKHOLM: A Swedish court upheld on Wednesday the arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Assange, 44, is wanted by Swedish authorities for questioning over allegations, which he denies, that he committed rape in 2010.

"The district court finds that there is still probable cause for the suspicion against JA (Julian Assange) for rape, less serious incident, and that there is still a risk that he will depart or in some other way evade prosecution or penalty," the court said in a statement.

"Assange avoided possible extradition to Sweden by taking refuge in Ecuador´s embassy in London.