Julian Assange should be "man enough" to face the sexual assault allegations against him, the federal government says.
A Swedish court on Wednesday upheld an arrest warrant against the WikiLeaks founder. The warrant was issued in 2010 over allegations of rape and sexual molestation which Assange has denied.
The court's decision is another setback for the 43-year-old Australian, who has been holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than two years in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden.
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Assange says he fears that if he goes to Sweden he will be extradited on to the United States to face charges for publishing classified material.
But Attorney General George Brandis says Assange should face the claims.
"I think Mr Assange should be man enough to face the allegations against him of being a sexual predator," Senator Brandis told ABC radio on Thursday.
