BREAKING: Swedish Prosecutors Drop Julian Assange Rape Investigation

[Hissyspit]

Source: Guardian UK

Swedish prosecutors drop Julian Assange rape investigation

Swedens director of public prosecution, Marianne Ny, says she has decided to discontinue the investigation into WikiLeaks founder


Press Association and Reuters
Friday 19 May 2017 05.14 EDT

Swedish prosecutors said on Friday they would drop a preliminary investigation into an allegation of rape against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday, bringing to an end a seven-year legal standoff.

Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny has today decided to discontinue the preliminary investigation regarding suspected rape concerning Julian Assange, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

Assange, 45, has lived in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, after taking refuge there to avoid extradition to Sweden over the allegation of rape, which he denies.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/19/swedish-prosecutors-drop-julian-assange-investigation?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Just seeing a NYT breaking

STOCKHOLM — Prosecutors in Sweden said on Friday that they would drop their investigation into Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who sought refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London five years ago after the authorities in Stockholm opened a preliminary rape inquiry against him.

“Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny has today decided to shut down the preliminary investigation regarding suspected rape involving Julian Assange,” the prosecutors office said in a statement.

The decision does not mean that Mr. Assange is in the clear. The Justice Department was reconsidering last month whether to charge Mr. Assange for his role in the disclosure of highly classified information.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/world/europe/julian-assange-sweden-rape.html

[SoCalNative]

2. Time for the Ecuadorean embassy

to give him his walking papers then.

[DetlefK]

3. Come out, come out, wherever you are...

[ucrdem]

4. UK police say he still faces arrest

per Reuters:

However, London police issued a statement after the Swedish announcement making clear Assange was still wanted by them.

"Westminster Magistrates' Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Julian Assange following him failing to surrender to the court on the 29 June 2012," the police said.

"The Metropolitan Police Service is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the Embassy."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-idUSKCN18F0TC

[padah513]

5. Lol

To quote Admiral Ackbar, "It's a trap!"

[longship]

6. The admiral!

[riderinthestorm]

7. SMH, seems like this was a political witch hunt after all

Doesn't excuse his actions in regard to HRC tho.

I'm guessing his lifespan on the street is going to be pretty short. Too many folks want him gone.

[pnwmom]

8. He was held for 7 years in house arrest. Maybe they decided that was enough.

Or maybe they know that if he leaves the embassy, he's subject to being arrested and deported to the US.

[VigilantG]

9. I'm with you. They are baiting him out of the safe house.

[NobodyHere]

19. He stayed under his own free will

[pnwmom]

20. Sure he did. Because he wanted to avoid arrest and extradition. nt

[still_one]

13. That they are not pursuing the rape charges against him does not mean he is

innocent or guilty. It simply means that don't want to expend anymore time or money pursuing it.

[R B Garr]

18. No, it seems like he's screwed a lot of people over and has manipulated

his circumstances to cover. That's what it seems like.

[riversedge]

10. Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-idUSKCN18F0TC

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-sweden-assange-idUSKCN18F0TC



Big Story 12 | Fri May 19, 2017 | 8:00am EDT
Sweden drops Assange investigation, UK police says he still faces arrest
FILE PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange makes a speech from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy, in central London, Britain February 5, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

By Simon Johnson and Michael Holden | STOCKHOLM/LONDON

Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation on Friday of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over a rape allegation, but British police said he would still be arrested if he left the Ecuadorean embassy in London where he has been holed up for nearly five years.

Assange, 45, took refuge in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over the rape allegation, which he denies.

He feared Sweden would hand him over to the United States to face prosecution over WikiLeaks' publication of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents in one of the largest information leaks in U.S. history.

Swedish Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny said the investigation had not been able to proceed because of legal obstacles. ......................

[wallyworld2]

11. I've got a feeling

That there is no one in chumps administration or justice department that will want to extradite him to America for his part in last years election interference.

[Bigredhunk]

12. -

Vomitorium. What a GD creep.

Link to tweet

[Tanuki]

16. That pose reminds me of Jeff Gannon, another covert right wing media collaborator

[smirkymonkey]

17. Ugh, he's just so smarmy!

[Tanuki]

14. ........

https://m.

[joeybee12]

15. I guess Pamela Anderson was right

Sarcasm. She's an idiot