in

Julian Assange: Sweden drops rape investigation – BBC News, Google News


        

            

Media playback is unsupported on your device

      

               

    

Media captionWho is Julian Assange?

Prosecutors in Sweden have dropped an investigation into a rape allegation made against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in 2010.

Assange, who denies the accusation, has avoided extradition to Sweden for seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012.

The 48 – year-old Australian was evicted in April and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions.

He is currently being held at Belmarsh prison in London.

The Swedish investigation had been shelved in 2017 but wasre-opened earlier this year following his eviction from the embassy.

Separately, the US is seeking Assange’s extradition from the UK over his alleged role in the release of classified military and diplomatic material by Wikileaks in 2010.

What did the prosecutors say?

Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson took the decision to “discontinue the investigation regarding Julian Assange”, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said.

“The reason for this decision is that the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question,” it added.

                                                                                                      Image copyright                 EPA                                                      
Image caption                                    Eva-Marie Persson said the decision had been taken after interviews with seven witnesses                             

Ms Persson said: “I would like to emphasize that the injured party has submitted a credible and reliable version of events.

“Her statements have been coherent, extensive and detailed; however, my overall assessment is that the evidential situation has been weakened to such an extent that there is no longer any reason to continue the investigation. “

            

Media playback is unsupported on your device

      

               

    

Media captionJulian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London

Separately, the prosecutors held a news briefing in the Swedish capital Stockholm, saying that the decision to drop the inquiry had been taken after interviews with seven witnesses in the case.

What was the Swedish investigation about?

Assange was accused of rape by a woman and sexual assault by another one following a Wikileaks conference in Stockholm in 2010. He has always denied the allegations, saying the sex was consensual.

He also faced investigations for molestation and unlawful coercion, but these cases were dropped in 2015 because time had run out.

What has the reaction been?

There was no immediate comment from Assange but Wikileaks welcomed the Swedish move to drop the investigation.

Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: “Let us now focus on the threat Mr Assange has been warning about for years : the belligerent prosecution of the United States and the threat it poses to the First Amendment. “

What charges does Assange face in the US?

Australian-born Assange facesa charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in the US.

He is accused of participating in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets, which could result in a prison term of up to five years.

In June, the then UK Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, formally approved an extradition request from the US.

            

Brave Browser
Read More
Payeer

What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings

Babies and mothers died in what may be worst ever NHS maternity scandal, report finds – Sky News, Google News

Vindman tells impeachment hearing he reported 'improper' Trump call immediately – live – The Guardian, Google News