Sweden reopens Julian Assange rape investigation

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN

Stockholm, Sweden (CNN) Sweden will reopen the investigation into an allegation of rape against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the country's deputy chief prosecutor announced on Monday. Swedish Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson revealed Sweden would resume proceedings at a press conference in the capital of Stockholm on Monday morning. The Australian whistleblower was accused of sexual assault and rape by two women in Sweden after visiting the country in August 2010.

Following a years-long extradition battle, the UK Supreme Court ruled against him in 2012. Assange then sought asylum in Ecuador's London embassy, saying he was fearful of rendition to the United States for his work with WikiLeaks. He would remain there for almost seven years until he was dramatically removed by British police last month. Assange has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

In August 2015, the statute of limitations on the claims of sexual assault lapsed. And two years later, Sweden shelved the probe into the rape allegation, saying there was no practical way it could be continued while he remained in the embassy. However, the country's then Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny, said that if the situation changed, the decision could be reviewed. That moment came on April 11 when British authorities were invited into the embassy and the now 47-year-old computer programmer was dragged from his diplomatic bolthole.

On the heels of his dramatic arrest, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, a lawyer for the woman who accused Assange of rape, tweeted that she and her client would renew their calls for the WikiLeaks founder to be brought to Sweden.

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/13/europe/julian-assange-sweden-intl-gbr/index.html

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[DeminPennswoods]

1. If the statute of limitations has elapsed,

how is it possible to re-open the investigation?

[revmclaren]

2. Taken from NBC news...

Statute of limitations rape Sweden

10 years

The statute of limitations for rape is 10 years in Sweden, meaning it would expire in 2020 if prosecutors haven't filed an indictment by then. Earlier this month, chief prosecutor Ingrid Isgren said colleagues working on the Swedish case have had no contact with U.S. authorities.

I think by what I have read that the sexual assault charges and the rape charges are separate charges and it's the sexual assault charges that expired.

Assange is going down ..



ONLY!!! 2019 and beyond.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. Yes!! Wonderful news!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[DeminPennswoods]

4. Thanks

nt

[Cold War Spook]

7. I could not find the answer to this but,

since he was in a foreign embassy it would depend on the country's law as to whether or not that pauses the statute of limitations.

[Ghost Dog]

5. If Elisabeth Massi Fritz is lawyer for Ms. A who accused Assange of rape,

providing as evidence a split condom with no DNA on it, how does she intend to explain that little faux-pas away?

... The WikiLeaks founder has never been charged in relation to the allegations; and proceedings have never developed beyond the investigation stage... Persson emphasized that a decision on filing charges had not yet been made. "I would like to make the following very clear: my decision to re-open the preliminary investigation is not equivalent on whether or not to file an indictment with the courts. This is the matter we'll have to revisit," she added.

In response to the Swedish inquiry restarting, WikiLeaks accused prosecutors of bending to "intense political pressure" but said renewed investigations would allow Assange to clear his name...

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/13/europe/julian-assange-sweden-intl-gbr/index.html

[forgotmylogin]

6. Someone wrote his possible sentence for this isn't real long.

He deserves justice, but I read somewhere if he'd just faced the music and done his time he didn't face a particularly long sentence in Sweden; he'd probably have been out of jail in a year. Much less time than he spent squatting in the embassy.

I think the Ecuadorian Embassy did what they were supposed to and could to protect him, but I'm sure they never dreamed he'd just take up residence there for nearly a decade with no plans to leave. I don't blame them for eventually saying "enough is enough."

[Haggis for Breakfast]

8. The news media needs to STOP

reporting that he was "dragged" out of the Embassy. He was carried out by eight large men. At no time was he dragged by forse anywhere.