Sweden Considers Reopening Assange Rape Probe

Stockholm: Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange can face a renewed probe into an allegation of rape in Sweden, following his arrest in London from the Ecuadorian embassy just days ago. Swedish prosecutors said they were examining the case at the request of the alleged victim’s lawyer. Lawyer Elizabeth Massi Fritz said she would do “everything we possibly can” to get the probe reopened in Sweden, the BBC reported. “No rape victim should have to wait nine years to see justice be served,” she added.

Assange was accused of rape and other sexual offences, against two women, following a Wikileaks conference in Stockholm in 2010. He has always denied the allegations, saying the sex was consensual. Prosecutors will now re-examine the rape case to decide whether to resume it before the statute of limitations runs out in August 2020, the BBC said. Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2017 as they were unable to proceed while he remained in asylum inside the Ecuadorean embassy. (IANS)

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