Sweden drops julian assange rape investigation #

On November 19, 2020, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced that it was dropping its investigation into rape allegations against Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. The investigation had been ongoing since 2010.

The decision to drop the investigation was made after the statute of limitations for the alleged crimes had expired. The alleged crimes were said to have taken place in August 2010, and the statute of limitations for rape in Sweden is 10 years.

The investigation was initially launched in August 2010 after two women accused Assange of sexual misconduct during his visit to Sweden. The allegations were made by a Swedish woman who claimed that Assange had sexually assaulted her, and another woman who claimed that Assange had sexually molested her.

Assange denied the allegations and claimed that the accusations were politically motivated. He also claimed that he had consensual sexual encounters with the women.

In 2012, Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he remained for seven years until he was arrested in 2019. He was subsequently extradited to the United States, where he was charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for his role in the 2010 release of classified military documents.

The decision to drop the investigation in Sweden has been met with criticism from some, who argue that it undermines the credibility of the Swedish justice system and may have implications for other cases involving sexual assault allegations.