Lawyers: Julian Assange had consensual sex

LONDON, July 13 (UPI) -- Lawyers for WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange have told a London court he should not be extradited to Sweden over sex charges that he contends were consensual.

But Queen's Council Clare Montgomery, representing the Swedish government, said Wednesday that the prosecutor's case against Assange clearly alleges there was no consent during four sexual encounters in Stockholm last August, The Guardian reported.

Lord Judge Patrick Russell of Britain's High Court appeared to agree with Montgomery.

"We are not concerned whether this is a good case of a bad case but whether what is charged amounts to a crime," he said.

The court is debating whether the Assange case is sufficiently developed towards prosecution to be suitable for an extradition warrant.

Montgomery said public prosecutors have long issued arrest warrants that were processed by U.K. courts as grounds for extradition.

Assange's lawyers said the question before the court is whether the arrest warrant in connection with the allegations is valid on "strict and narrow" legal grounds.