Assange: Swedish prosecutor drops three cases, rape investigation continues

“As the statute of limitation has run on some of the crimes, I am compelled to discontinue the investigation with respect to these crimes”, Marianne Nye, Sweden’s director of public prosecution, said in a statement Thursday.

Swedish prosecutors say they will be dropping a sexual assault case because the statute of limitations had expired, but will pursue a rape allegation.

After spending more than £10 million protecting wanted WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, who is holed in the Ecuador Embassy on asylum in London, Britain said on Thursday that it would lodge a formal protest with Ecuador.

He is wanted for questioning over sex claims by two women in Sweden – which he strongly denies – but fears being extradited to the United States over secret documents published by the whistleblowing organisation.

Prosecutors had until August 13 to question Assange about one accusation of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion, while the time limit on a further allegation of sexual molestation runs out on August 18. However, they have another five years to investigate the rape allegation against his name.

The Australian journalist and activist denies all allegations and has said they are part of a smear campaign. “There was no need for any of this”, Assange said in a statement. In March, a U.S. federal court confirmed there are “active and ongoing” attempts to prosecute him and WikiLeaks in an investigation involving espionage, conspiracy, and computer fraud.

Swedish prosecutors had initially insisted that Assange be questioned in Sweden, but earlier this year – under pressure to advance the investigation – agreed that he could be interviewed in London.

Instead, Assange sought asylum in the UK’s Ecuadorian embassy and has been living there with London police stationed outside, ready to apprehend him under a European Arrest Warrant should he leave.

Another allegation against him will also expire within the next five days.

British Foreign Minister Hugo Swire called the arrangement “an abuse of diplomatic relations” and “a growing stain” on Ecuador’s reputation.

“I can only describe the behaviour of the Swedish prosecutor as wicked, truly wicked”, she said.

He hasn’t been able to travel to Ecuador because U.K police have been guarding the embassy to enforce extradition to Sweden the moment he steps outside the embassy.

However prosecutors failed to quiz the WikiLeaks frontman, with both Ecuadorian and Swedish officials blaming one another for the delay.

A member of Assange’s legal team, Jen Robinson, says that a number of important questions have been raised, adding that “Julian hasn’t been charged, yet he is being punished”. If convicted, Assange could face up to four years in prison. “The assistant prosecutor travelled to London in June waiting for permission from Ecuador but she never got the permission, so she went back to Sweden again”, Karin Rosander of Åklagarmyndigheten told The Local.