Swedish prosecutors won permission from a Stockholm court Thursday to seek an international arrest warrant for Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks website, whom they want to question on allegations of rape and other sexual offenses, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The accusations stem from encounters Assange, 39, had with two women during a visit to Sweden in August. Assange denies any unlawful conduct, saying that his relations with the women were consensual.

But the Swedish Prosecution Authority said it wanted Assange brought in for questioning and asked the district court in Stockholm to declare him detained in absentia. The declaration is a preliminary step to requesting an international arrest warrant against him, probably to be issued through Interpol.

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