Sweden drops criminal proceedings against Assange
Sweden has dropped its rape investigation against Julian Assange and will revoke its arrest warrant, the Swedish Prosecution Authority has announced on its website, RT reported. Director of Public Prosecution, Ms Marianne Ny, has today decided to discontinue the investigation regarding suspected rape (lesser degree) by Julian Assange,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Assange’s defense lawyer, Per Samuelson, has called the prosecution’s decision a “total victory.” “The preliminary investigation has been dropped and the detention order has been withdrawn, and from Sweden’s point of view this is now over,” he told Reuters.
The decision marks an end to a seven-year stand-off. Assange has lived in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, in order to avoid extradition to Sweden over the allegation, which he denies.
