- Title: File footage of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
- Date: 19th May 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 2, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SUPREME COURT SIGN READING (English): "THE SUPREME COURT"
- Embargoed: 2nd June 2017 11:44
- Keywords: wikileaks Ecuador arrest warrent appeal Ecuadorian embassy Sweden London Julian Assange
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, AND NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES / BAGHDAD, IRAQ/ LONDON, ENGLAND, AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, UNITED KINGDOM / BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, AND NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES / BAGHDAD, IRAQ/ LONDON, ENGLAND, AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, UNITED KINGDOM / BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00H6HIRN7R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE
Swedish prosecutors said on Friday (May 19) they had dropped an investigation 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.
Assange, 45, took refuge in the embassy in 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.
The Swedish prosecutor's office said in a statement it had decided to end its investigation. In a court document seen by Reuters, chief prosecutor Marianne Ny said there were no further avenues to pursue to take the investigation forward.
However, London police issued a statement after the Swedish announcement making clear Assange was still wanted by them. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None