Swedish court rejects Assange’s request to dismiss arrest warrant

(CNN) — A Swedish appeals court on Thursday denied WikiLeaks founder ‘s request to dismiss an arrest warrant against him in cases of alleged rape and molestation that he says are false and politically motivated.

Assange, 43, has been living in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy for more than two years to avoid extradition to Sweden, where two women accused him in 2010 of sexually assaulting them.

Swedish authorities want to question him. Assange, who rocketed to international fame when WikiLeaks began publishing secret government documents online, says he fears Sweden will transfer him to the United States, where he could face the death penalty if he is charged and convicted of publishing government secrets through WikiLeaks.