Advertisement

Assange rape accuser fires attorney

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 29 (UPI) -- One of two women who accused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of sexual assault in Sweden has fired her high-profile attorney, officials say.

The attorney, Claes Borgstrom, was reportedly dropped because he spoke too much to the media, TT/local.se reported Thursday.

Advertisement

Borgstrom, Sweden's former equality ombudsman, addressed the reports in a statement: "It has been impossible to avoid contact with the media in this case. When I have been in contact with the media it has been with the approval of my client, sometimes she has asked me to do so."

He declined to criticize his former client's decision, saying it was critical she feel comfortable with her attorney because of the volume of media attention the case has received.

Assange has taken refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual assault.

He has said he fears if he is extradited to Sweden, he will be turned over to U.S. authorities for allegedly releasing secret U.S. documents on the Internet.

Latest Headlines