Assange Closer to Freedom as Swedes Drop Case

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange moved closer to freedom after Swedish prosecutors moved to drop a rape investigation against him, leaving the door open for him to emerge from his self-imposed exile in a London embassy, according to Bloomberg.

Sweden Prosecutor Marianne Ny said that her office will drop an investigation into Assange regarding suspected rape. Assange’s seven years of evading questioning has made it impossible to handle the case properly. “It is unfortunate that we haven’t been able to conduct this investigation the way we would have wanted,“ Ny said at a press conference. “We have used the means at our disposal to advance the investigation with satisfactory quality and we have to face the fact that this is where we stand today.“

Assange’s lawyer, Per E. Samuelson, told Swedish media that Assange could leave the embassy soon. “It’s a big victory day for Julian Assange,“ Samuelson said in an interview.  London’s Metropolitan Police said the prosecutor’s decision left Assange wanted for a “much less serious offense“ and the police “will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offense. The priority for the MPS must continue to be arresting those who are currently wanted in the capital in connection with serious violent or sexual offenses,“ the police said in an emailed statement.

Where Assange will go after he leaves the embassy is another question. He will likely be arrested by London police for jumping bail, which carries a sentence of up to a year, but his lawyers around the globe are already planning his next step. Juan Branco, a lawyer for Assange and WikiLeaks in Paris, called on new French President Emmanuel Macron to offer a safe haven. "Mr. President, I am asking you to ensure that France’s position is in tune with its principles by offering Julian Assange political asylum," Branco said in a statement. “This isn’t an asylum request but a demand for political and diplomatic intervention.

Assange hailed a Swedish decision to drop a rape probe against him, but said he won’t leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has sought refuge for the past five years as long as he remains a target in the U.S. and U.K. Appearing on a balcony at the embassy, he said British police continued to seek his arrest for jumping bail in the Swedish probe, and American authorities are targeting him for extradition because of his organization’s leaks of classified documents.