Interpol has placed the Australian-born founder of WikiLeaks on its most-wanted list after Sweden issued an arrest warrant against him as part of a drawn-out rape investigation.
The France-based international police organisation has issued a "red notice" for 39-year old Julian Assange - the equivalent of putting him on its most wanted list.
"There is a public Red Notice on behalf of Sweden," a spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse, confirming that Interpol had posted Sweden's request for assistance in tracking down Assange on its website on Tuesday.
Sweden's International Public Prosecution Office in Gothenburg issued an arrest warrant for the secretive activist on November 18, citing "probable cause of suspected rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion."
Assange has denied the allegations, which stem from his encounters with two women during a visit to Sweden in August.
Assange, whose current location is unclear, contested the warrant in a Swedish appeals court, but his first bid to get it thrown out was rejected last week and he has lodged a second appeal.
In the meantime, he could now face arrest and extradition to Sweden from anywhere in the world where local authorities decide to act on the warrant.
