A judge has upheld an arrest warrant for Julian Assange, which he will face if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy in London, The Guardian reported Tuesday.
Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, skipped bail and entered the embassy in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault and rape, charges that Assange denies.
Senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot said Assange's legal team did not persuade her to drop the warrant.
"I find arrest is a proportionate response, even though Mr. Assange has restricted his own freedom for a number of years… defendants on bail up and down the country, and requested persons facing extradition, come to court to face the consequences of their own choices. He should have the courage to do the same," said the judge, The Guardian reported.
Swedish prosecutors have dropped the case against Assange, but he is subject to arrest for skipping bail, according to The Guardian.
Jennifer Robinson, Assange's lawyer, said that the U.S. government has been clear that it intends to prosecute WikiLeaks for releasing classified documents, The Guardian reported.
Assange's lawyer, Mark Summers, argued that during Assange's years in the embassy, he has already undergone "adequate, if not severe" punishment, CBS News reported.
"Mr. Assange remains ready to face British justice and to resolve any outstanding matters related to his seeking protection in the Ecuadorean embassy — but not at the risk of being forced to face American injustice for exercising the freedom to publish," Robinson said in the CBS report.
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