UK Police know whereabouts of Julian Assange

WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange is in Britain and police know his whereabouts but have refrained so far from acting on an international warrant for his arrest, a British newspaper said on Thursday.

A spokesman for WikiLeaks said Assange had faced assassination threats and had to remain out of the public eye.

The 39-year-old Australian, who founded the whistle-blowing website that has disclosed a trove of US diplomatic cables, gave British police contact details when he arrived in the country in October, The Independent said.

The newspaper cited police sources who said they knew where Assange was staying and had his telephone number. It added that it was believed he was in southeast England.

The release of sensitive diplomatic cables has angered the United States who have vowed to shut down such activities.

Speaking at an event in London on Wednesday night,  WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said Assange was working on the project at a secret location.

"When you have people calling for his assassination, it is best to keep a low profile. This is inciting violence. And apparently it is unlawful in some countries," he said.

The international police agency Interpol this week issued a "red notice" to assist in the arrest of Assange, who is wanted in Sweden on suspicion of sexual crimes, but Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) so far has refused to authorise this, the paper said.

Citing unnamed sources, the Independent said Soca needed clarifications about the European Arrest Warrant issued by Swedish prosecutors but it described the delay as technical.

The Metropolitan Police and Soca declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Sweden's highest court said on Thursday it had refused Assange permission to appeal against the arrest order issued over alleged sexual crimes.

Assange, a former computer hacker, leads a nomadic existence and cultivates an aura of mystery. He left Sweden last month after authorities there said they wanted to question him about allegations of rape and other sexual offenses.

US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley interviewed by BBC Radio 4, said  Assange had failed to cooperate with a US investigation into the leak. "We've made clear in an exchange this weekend with Mr Assange the fact that he is in possession of classified material of the United States government, it's stolen property and we have asked him to return it. He has declined to do that and we would investigate the implications of this." 

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