UK Judge Set to Rule on WikiLeaks Founder's Arrest Warrant
Julian Assange
LONDON (AP) — A British judge is set to decide Tuesday whether to quash or uphold an arrest warrant for  WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange  who has spent more than five years evading the law inside Ecuador's London embassy .
 Assange 's lawyers argue that it's no longer in the public interest to arrest him for jumping bail in 2012 and seeking shelter in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden  where prosecutors were investigating allegations of sexual assault and rape made by two women. He denied the allegations.
Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation last year  saying there was no prospect of bringing  Assange  to Sweden in the foreseeable future. But the British warrant for violating bail conditions still stands  and  Assange  faces arrest if  he  leaves the embassy.
 Assange 's lawyers asked for the warrant to be withdrawn since Sweden no longer wants  him  extradited  but  the judge  rejected their request last week.
 Assange 's attorney went on to argue that arresting  him  is no longer proportionate or in the public interest. Lawyer Mark Summers said that the 5½ years  Assange  has spent inside the embassy were "adequate  if not severe" punishment for his actions  and cited a report by a U.N. committee which said the 46-year-old was being arbitrarily detained.
He said the fact remained that  Assange  had chosen to enter the embassy to avoid arrest 
Even if the judge lifts the British arrest warrant   Assange 's legal problems may not be over. He suspects there is a secret U.S. grand jury indictment against him for WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents  and that American authorities will seek his extradition
LONDON (AP) — A British judge is set to decide Tuesday whether to quash or uphold an arrest warrant for  [TGT][TGT] 's lawyers argue that it's no longer in the public interest to arrest [TGT] for jumping bail in 2012 and seeking shelter in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden  where prosecutors were investigating allegations of sexual assault and rape made by two women. [TGT] denied the allegations.
Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation last year  saying there was no prospect of bringing  Assange  to Sweden in the foreseeable future. But the British warrant for violating bail conditions still stands  and  Assange  faces arrest if  he  leaves the embassy.
 [TGT] 's lawyers asked for the warrant to be withdrawn since Sweden no longer wants  him  extradited  but  the judge  rejected their request last week.
 [TGT] 's attorney went on to argue that arresting  him  is no longer proportionate or in the public interest. Lawyer Mark Summers said that the 5½ years  Assange  has spent inside the embassy were "adequate  if not severe" punishment for his actions  and cited a report by a U.N. committee which said the 46-year-old was being arbitrarily detained.
He said the fact remained that  Assange  had chosen to enter the embassy to avoid arrest 
Even if the judge lifts the British arrest warrant   [TGT] 's legal problems may not be over. He suspects there is a secret U.S. grand jury indictment against him for WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents  and that American authorities will seek his extradition