Assange lawyers under fire for naming accusers
Solicitors acting on behalf of the 39-year-old suspect included the details in legal documents posted on their website after he appeared in court.
The 35-page skeleton argument outlined why Assange should not be extradited to Sweden.
It was intended for reporters but ended up being circulated widely on the internet, with at least one national newspaper posting a link directly to it.
Campaigner Katrin Axelsson, of Women Against Rape (WAR), criticised the decision to release their names. Rape victims are granted lifetime anonymity in British courts under the Sexual Offences Act.
But the two women remain in Sweden and are not protected by British law.
Mark Stephens, who represents Assange, said the names were removed after he realised the document was being circulated beyond the media.
He said: “The position is that the person who made the decision to name the women was Marianne Ny, the Swedish prosecutor.
“She put their names in the European Arrest Warrant, which is a public document, and she could have anonymised them.
“We put up the skeleton, which did name the women originally, because we thought it was only for the press... It was not intended for public consumption.
“We thought about whether it was appropriate to name the women or not. We took the view we were not legally obliged not to, but we took the decision that we would anonymise them.”
Axelsson said: “The rape allegations against Julian Assange have become entangled with the politics centred on WikiLeaks.
“We oppose the use of rape for political agendas which undermine protection and justice for both rape victim and accused.”
Assange will return to Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court on February 7 to challenge his extradition to Sweden.
