The lawyer for the Swedish woman who Julian Assange is accused of raping says the UN panel apparently has "a lack of understanding" that rape "is one of the most serious abuses and violations of human rights."
Elisabeth Massi Fritz on Friday said she was "relieved" that the panel's ruling that Assange has been arbitrarily detained "is not legally binding."
In a statement to the AP she said it was "insulting and offensive" toward her client and the rights of all crime victims to suggest that a man who is suspected of rape should be compensated for intentionally withholding himself from the judicial system for more than five years.
She says Assange should "pack his bags, leave the embassy and start cooperating with the police and the prosecutor."
She said it was "important to remember that Assange has violated the law and is wilfully defying the courts' decisions."
