Swedish prosecutors drop sexual assault claims against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
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Swedish prosecutors have dropped sexual assault charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange because the deadlines for questioning and bringing charges have passed. Swedish officials were unable to negotiate an agreement to gain access to Assange, who has been camped out at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, to complete the interview needed to file criminal charges. Assange has been living in the embassy since 2012 in the hopes of avoiding extradition.
However, Assange still faces the accusation of rape in Sweden, which can be pursued until 2020, and, if he is extradited to the U.S., he could face charges for Wikileaks’ publishing of thousands of classified documents.
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