livingston
20×102mm Vulcan
BREAKING NEWS - Julian Assange is a free man: Sweden DROPS rape probe against WikiLeaks founder - but will he now fly to Ecuador to avoid extradition to the US?
Published: 05:14 EDT, 19 May 2017 | Updated: 06:42 EDT, 19 May 2017
Sweden today announced it has decided to drop its investigation in to rape allegations made against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a move his lawyer described as a 'total victory'.
The dramatic decision was revealed by Sweden's Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny, who said the probe had been 'discontinued' having effectively become a lost cause.
The 45-year-old Australian, who denies the 2010 rape claims, has been living inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for almost five years and has been granted political asylum.
The focus will now move to the governments of the UK and the US and whether Assange will attempt to fly to Ecuador to avoid extradition to America for trial over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents.
Met Police today confirmed there is a warrant for his arrest for not appearing in court in 2012, and that it was 'obliged' to execute the warrant if he leaves the embassy.
But the offence is 'much less serious' than the sex crimes claims, and police 'will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence,' the force said.
Moments after this morning's decision, he tweeted a picture of himself smiling. It was immediately retweeted by actress Pamela Anderson who has visited him at the embassy several times.
Sweden drops probe against WikiLeaks' Julian Assange | Daily Mail Online
- Julian Assange has been living in Ecuadorian Embassy in London for five years
- WikiLeaks founder had faced Swedish investigation into 2010 rape allegations
- But Swedish prosecutors this morning said they had 'discontinued' the probe
- Focus now turns to whether he will fly to Ecuador to avoid extradition to the US
- It is also not clear whether Met Police will execute a warrant for his arrest over failure to surrender to court in 2012
Published: 05:14 EDT, 19 May 2017 | Updated: 06:42 EDT, 19 May 2017
Sweden today announced it has decided to drop its investigation in to rape allegations made against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a move his lawyer described as a 'total victory'.
The dramatic decision was revealed by Sweden's Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny, who said the probe had been 'discontinued' having effectively become a lost cause.
The 45-year-old Australian, who denies the 2010 rape claims, has been living inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for almost five years and has been granted political asylum.
The focus will now move to the governments of the UK and the US and whether Assange will attempt to fly to Ecuador to avoid extradition to America for trial over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents.
Met Police today confirmed there is a warrant for his arrest for not appearing in court in 2012, and that it was 'obliged' to execute the warrant if he leaves the embassy.
But the offence is 'much less serious' than the sex crimes claims, and police 'will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence,' the force said.
Moments after this morning's decision, he tweeted a picture of himself smiling. It was immediately retweeted by actress Pamela Anderson who has visited him at the embassy several times.
Sweden drops probe against WikiLeaks' Julian Assange | Daily Mail Online
