Rape Accusation Against WikiLeaks Founder Dropped

Just hours after their initial accusation, Swedish authorities announced that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is no longer suspected of rape in a case that reeks of a smear campaign against the website that released damning evidence against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WikiLeaks last month distributed more than 75,000 confidential documents revealing problems within the Afghan war effort, and was widely condemned by the U.S. government and its allies. The website earlier this year had posted a 39-minute video showing U.S. troops gunning down civilians and journalists in Iraq (link below).

The BBC:

Sweden has cancelled an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on accusations of rape and molestation.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority website said the chief prosecutor had come to the decision that Mr Assange was not suspected of rape but did not give any further explanation.

The warrant was issued late on Friday.

Wikileaks, which has been criticised for leaking Afghan war documents, had quoted Mr Assange as saying the charges were “without basis”.

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AP / APTN Pool

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a news conference in London in July.