Former computer hacker Julian Assange gained international prominence in 2010 when WikiLeaks began releasing secret video footage and thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables about Iraq and Afghanistan.

Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange over allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two female former WikiLeaks volunteers. He denies any wrongdoing and has been fighting extradition since his arrest in Britain in December 2010. His lawyers argue the European arrest warrant was invalid because it was issued by a prosecutor and not a judge or a court, as required in Britain. Prosecutors say different legal procedures are allowable under the internationally agreed format.

On June 19, 2012, Assange took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, requesting political asylum. Ecuadorian officials say they will not announce a decision on the request until the Olympic Games end in mid-August. - Reuters, AP