© GettyAssange in a government vehicle following his arrest on April 11, 2019.
The request comes after Swedish prosecutors reopened a probe into rape allegations against Assange last week. There is already an extradition process in the U.K., which could lead to him being extradited to the U.S.
"I request the District Court to detain Assange in his absence, on probable cause suspected for rape (less serious crime). If the court decides to detain him, I will issue a European Arrest Warrant concerning surrender to Sweden", says Eva-Marie Persson
Julian Assange has been convicted of a crime in the UK and will serve 25 weeks of his sentence before he can be released, according to information obtained from UK authorities. An extradition process is ongoing in the UK, with the possible outcome of him being extradited to the US.
"In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict. However, in my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the UK", says Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson.
"In my view the Swedish case can proceed concurrently with the proceedings in the U.K.," she said.
The Uppsala District Court, which received the application, hasn't yet set a date for the detention hearing.
Comment: What are the Swedish authorities playing at here? They have more or less admitted the charges were trumped up, with one of the women stating that she was pressured into filing charges against Assange. Yet in the face of all these facts, Swedish officials have decided to pursue charges.