RAPE CLAIM IN ASSANGE CASE DROPPED

Wikileaks founder says will not ‘forgive and forget’

Stockholm, May 19: Sweden’s top prosecutor on Friday dropped an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after almost seven years, saying that’s because there’s no possibility of arresting him “in the foreseeable future.”

The announcement means the outspoken WikiLeaks leader no longer faces sex crime allegations in Sweden, although British police says he is still wanted for jumping bail in Britain in 2012.

Stockholm, May 19: Swedish prosecutors on Friday dropped a sevenyear rape investigation targeting Julian Assange, a legal victory for the WikiLeaks founder who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012.

However, Scotland Yard has said it will arrest Mr Assange if he leaves the embassy in London.

He is now wanted in London on the lesser charge of skipping bail and failing to surrender to a court.

Marianne Ny, Sweden’s director of public prosecution, said in a statement that the rape investigation was dropped because “there is no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future.” “In view of the fact that all prospects of pursuing the probe under present circumstances are exhausted, it appears that it is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Assange in his absence,” she added.

Shortly after the announcement, Mr Assange posted on Twitter a picture of himself smiling broadly, without comment.

He, later, attacked the Swedish authorities for detaining him for seven years without charge and said he will not “forgive” those who “slandered” him.

Mr Assange, who is expected to make an official statement from his Ecuadorean embassy hideout in London, used social media to vent his anger. “Detained for 7 years without charge by while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget,” he said in a tweet.

A lawyer on Mr Assange’s legal team, Per Samuelsson, told Swedish radio the decision was “a total victory.” He also said that the decision meant Assange “is free to leave the embassy whenever he wants”, though he said he did not know when he might leave.

“What I do know is that Sweden does not stop him from doing it. Sweden is out of the game,” he said.

Detained for 7 years without charge by while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget. — JULIAN ASSANGE, Wikileaks founder