Assange ‘rape’ victims had hidden agenda, says lawyer

Julian Assange has been accused of rape by women with "hidden agendas" motivated by "jealousy", says his lawyer in Sweden, Bjorn Hurtig, adding to the suspicions of those who see a conspiracy against Assange to stop him revealing sensitive US government documents.

The WikiLeaks founder, currently imprisoned in the UK in Wandsworth jail, will appear in court for an extradition hearing this week. Hurtig says he is ready to present evidence there which he is confident will stop the extradition – if the Swedish authorities let him.

Hurtig (above) told the Mail on Sunday: "From what I have read, it is clear that the women are lying and that they had an agenda when they went to the police, which had nothing to do with a crime having taken place.

"It was, I believe, more about jealousy and disappointment on their part. I can prove that at least one of them had very big expectations for something to happen with Julian."

Hurtig, a top sex crimes defender in a country with a highly-developed public awareness of women's rights, revealed details of the allegations for the first time. He said the two women, Ms A and Ms B, had gone to police after discovering they had both been subjected to Assange's attentions.

Ms A was the organiser of a political seminar – it was as an attendee to this that Assange met both women.

Ms A claims claims she was unlawfully coerced and subjected to sexual molestation and deliberate molestation when Assange was staying at her flat. Assange told Hurtig he had a brief affair with her.

Ms B, meanwhile, told police she sought out Assange after being attracted to him on television. The pair had protected sex in her flat but she says she awoke the next morning to find Assange having sex with her without a condom.

While Hurtig said he saw no evidence of a "conspiracy" in the accusations themselves, he added that he believed Assange was subsequently being "victimised". However, Hurtig said he still believes Assange will get a fair hearing if he is extradited to Sweden from London.

"This is not a banana republic," he told the Mail. "It's just that when it comes to sex crimes, the police and prosecutors and members of the court seem to lose their ability to think logically. That said, I'm convinced that as soon as the case is heard in Sweden it will be thrown out." ·