Swedish authorities declined to continue an investigation into rape allegations against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange.
Assange, 48, was accused of “rape, sexual molestation and forceful coercion” in 2010 by Swedish authorities. They requested that he be detained and questioned for the rape investigation while he was avoiding extradition to Sweden in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson claimed the investigation into Assange was dropped because the evidence was weak following seven witness interviews.
“Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson has today decided to discontinue the investigation regarding Julian Assange,” Persson said in a statement. “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.”
Assange was evicted from the Ecuadorian Embassy in April over “repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life.” He was arrested by British authorities and detained in HM Prison Belmarsh in London, where he is currently being held for jumping bail.
Wikileaks current Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson celebrated the decision to drop the investigation into Assange and noted that this could expedite Assange’s extradition to the United States for his leaking of classified information.
“Sweden has dropped its preliminary investigation into Mr. Assange for the third time, after reopening it without any new evidence or information,” said Hrafnsson. “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.”
