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In reply to the discussion: WikiLeaks' Most Terrifying Revelation: Just How Much Our Government Lies to Us [View all]pnwmom
(108,976 posts)There were two warrants: First Sweden issued its warrant and then Interpol put out its own warrant. It is a RED notice, as opposed to another color notice, because a Red Notice is the only color that equivalent to an arrest warrant. The other colors all pertain to various levels or warnings and requests for information.
If you read the warrant, you'll note that at the top it says:
"Arrest Warrant Issued by International Public Prosecution Office"
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/assange-interpol/
The international police organization Interpol has issued a Red Notice for the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, in connection with a sex crime investigation in Sweden.
A Red Notice is kind of international wanted poster seeking the provisional arrest of a fugitive, with an eye towards extradition to the nation that issued the underlying arrest warrant. Interpol transmits the notices to its 188 member countries, including Britain, where Assange is believed to be located. Interpol has no authority to compel a subjects arrest. It issued 5,020 Red Notice last year for a variety of crimes.
A terse extract of Assanges notice appeared on Interpols website Tuesday, without a photograph, reporting that the 39-year-old Australian is wanted for sex crimes by the International Public Prosecution Office in Gothenburg, Sweden.
A Swedish judge on Nov. 18 ordered Assange detained in absentia to answer questions in a rape, coercion and molestation investigation in Stockholm. A court approved an international arrest warrant for the ex-hacker two days later, at which point Sweden reportedly applied to Interpol for the Red Notice. Assanges lawyer appealed the detention order to the Svea Court of Appeal, but lost. Assange filed a new appeal Tuesday to the Swedish Supreme Court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol_notice
An Interpol notice or international notice is issued by Interpol to share information between its members. There are seven types, colour-coded by their function: red, blue, green, yellow, black, orange, and purple.
Requests (provisional) arrest of wanted persons, with a view to extradition. An Interpol Red Notice is "the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today." Interpol does not have the authority to issue arrest warrants in the formal sense of the word, as this is the domain of the sovereign member states.