Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange have asked a Swedish court to withdraw a warrant for his arrest, following a ruling by a United Nations panel that his detention at the Ecuadorian embassy in London amounted to "arbitrary detention".
"We believe that a number of new circumstances have emerged that indicate that there is reason to revise the earlier decision," said one of Assange's lawyers, Thomas Olson, as reported by Reuters.
A United Nations panel announced on February 5 that Assange had been "arbitrarily detained" and called for his release.
The UN working group called on Britain and Sweden to "end his deprivation of liberty", assessing that Julian Assange's "physical integrity and freedom of movement" must be respected.
The panel, made up of five experts, announced that London and Stockholm should compensate Assange for the damages.
British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said that Assange will be arrested if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy, regardless of the UN commission's decision.
Assange, 44, took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations he committed a 2010 rape, which he denies.
He says he fears Sweden will extradite him to the United States, where he could face trial for publishing classified military and diplomatic documents through WikiLeaks, one of the largest leaks in US history.
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