Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has lost his Supreme Court fight against extradition to Sweden to face accusations of sex offences.
The judgement was reached by a majority of five to two, the court's president, Lord Phillips, told the hearing.
Mr Assange's lawyers had asked the UK's highest court to block his removal, arguing that a European arrest warrant issued against him was "invalid".
But the court ruled the extradition request had been "lawfully made".
The 40-year-old Australian, who has been on conditional bail in the UK, did not attend the hearing in central London.
He is accused of raping one woman and "sexually molesting and coercing" another in Stockholm in August 2010, but he claims that the allegations against him are politically motivated.
Lord Phillips, announcing the decision during a televised hearing, said the point of law which had to be considered had not been simple to resolve.
Mr Assange's lawyers had asked for the implementation of the judgement to be deferred.
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