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Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, was given verdict on Thursday that he is to be extradited to Sweden to face his sexual assault allegation.

WikiLeaks founder Julkian Assange arrives at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London February 24, 2011. A court is expected to rule on Thursday whether Assange should be extradited to Sweden where he is accused of sex crimes. [Xinhua]

Howard Riddle, district judge of Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in south London, agreed to extradite Assange to Sweden despite his lawyers' argument that Assange would not receive a fair trial in Sweden.

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The judge said the extradition of Assange was compatible with European Convention rights. He did not think the defendant would be treated unjust nor oppressive in Sweden.

"I must order Mr Assange be extradited to Sweden," he said.

Mark Stephen, Assange's lawyer, said the case showed that extraditions under the fast-track European arrest warrant were a form of "tick-box justice" and they would appeal to High Court.

According to British Crown Prosecution Service, Assange's lawyers should start the appeal process within 40 days. Should the High Court uphold the extradition decision, a further appeal can be made to Britain's Supreme Court, the country's highest judicial body. If at any stage in the process the extradition is confirmed and there is no outstanding appeal, then Assange must be extradited within 10 days.

During the three-day hearing earlier this month, Assange's lawyer accused of the intervention of Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in this case, who attempted to vilify and prejudge this matter before Assange has been charged.

Assange also said after the last hearing that he expected his own case could arouse more attention to some of the problems in Sweden, such as abuses in process, secret trial, lack of effective remedy for abuse and secret collaborations between the department of justice and the U.S. embassy.

The 39-year-old Australian computer scientist was accused of rape and sex offences against two Swedish women in Stockholm last August. Assange turned himself up to London police last December. The Swedish prosecution authority then applied to extradite Assange to Sweden for the case.

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