Assange wins right to appeal in Supreme Court

In a significant victory for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in his fight against extradition to Sweden, a UK High Court  yesterday granted his right to petition the UK Supreme Court.

Assange, who is facing extradition to Sweden over alleged sex offences, lost a high court battle last month. He denies involvement in the alleged sex offences.

Refusing Assange permission to appeal directly to the Supreme Court, judges however said his case raised "a question of general public importance".

Though he can now directly ask the Supreme Court to look at his case, Assange, who was at the London court to hear the judges' ruling, still does not have automatic rights to be heard by the highest court in the UK.

Leaving the Royal Courts of Justice amid cheering supporters, he later alluded to an MPs' debate over calls for the renegotiation of extradition rules.

Assange added there were "many aggrieved families in the UK and other countries and in Europe struggling for justice".