Swedish prosecutors are to reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, deputy director of prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson announced.

That leaves the UK with a decision to make on whether to extradite Assange to the Scandinavian country or the United States.

Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010.

Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired.

That left a rape allegation, which could not be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations in that case expires in August 2020.

The case was opened following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. He has denied the allegations, asserting that they were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual.

A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor.

Assange left Sweden for Britain in September 2010. In November that year, a Stockholm court approved a request to detain him for questioning.

The Australian took refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden.

He was arrested by UK police on April 11 after Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene.

Currently, Assange is in London's Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012.

He is also being held on a US extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer.

If there are competing extradition requests from Sweden and the US, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid is expected to have the final say over which claim takes priority. </s> The Swedish prosecutor heading an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday filed a request for his arrest, the Prosecution Authority said.The warrant, if granted, would be the first step in a process to have Assange extradited from Britain, where he is serving a 50-week sentence for skipping Sweden reopened an investigation into the rape allegation, first made in 2010, on May 13.

Register to advertise your products & services on our classifieds website Digger.co.ke and enjoy one month subscription free of charge and 3 free ads on the Standard newspaper. </s> Stockholm: The Swedish prosecutor heading an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange filed a request with a local court on Monday for him to be detained in absentia.

If granted, the court order would be the first step in a process to have Assange extradited from Britain, where he is serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail.

Sweden reopened the rape investigation last week. It was begun in 2010 but dropped in 2017 after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

Assange, who denies the accusation, was arrested in London last month after spending seven years inside the embassy. </s> The Latest: Sweden to seek extradition of Assange from UK

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Latest on Swedish prosecutors' decision whether to reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (all times local):

Swedish prosecutors say they will seek the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Assange after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail.

Prosecutors in Stockholm said Monday that they will reopen a rape case against Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange denies wrongdoing.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference that "in order to execute the arrest warrant, the prosecutor will issue a so-called European arrest warrant."

The Swedish move would leave Britain to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer.

Swedish prosecutors are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required."

Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010.

Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn't be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020.

Swedish prosecutors plan to say Monday whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Stockholm. If Sweden relaunches the case, that could leave Britain deciding whether to extradite him to the Scandinavian country or the United States.

Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010.

Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn't be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020. </s> Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail.Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that "there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape." She added: "It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required."Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges - a step short of formal charges - against Assange after he visited the country in 2010, following complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange.The Australian secret-spiller left Sweden for Britain in September 2010, and took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition.After almost seven years holed up in the building, he was arrested by British police April 11 when Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene.He is currently in London's Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. He is also being held on a U.S. extradition warrant for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer.While a Swedish case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped in 2017 when the statute of limitations expired, a rape allegation remains. Swedish authorities have had to shelf it because Assange was living at the embassy at the time and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden.The statute of limitations on that case expires next August. Assange has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were politically motivated and that the sex was consensual.Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelsen told Swedish broadcaster SVT on Monday he was "very suprised" by the decision to reopen the case."I do not understand the Swedish prosecutor's ... reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case," he said.Persson said a European arrest warrant will be issued for Assange. A Swedish court would formally issue the extradition request, which Assange could appeal.She added that while there is a risk the case may cut close to the statute of limitations deadline, "there is also a chance that we will be able to get him extradited before August 17 next year."The Swedish move would leave British authorities to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted separately for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer.There was no immediate reaction from Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer for the woman who reported being raped by Assange.The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was involved in organizing an event for Sweden's center-left Social Democratic Party and offered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience.A police officer who heard the women's accounts decided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor.Neither of the alleged victims has been named publicly.Assange faces a maximum of four years in prison in Sweden.The British extradition process is not swift, and Assange could appeal several times if decisions go against him. It's expected it would take a year or longer for him to be sent to the United States or possibly to Sweden even if he ultimately loses in court.WikiLeaks' Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the decision to reopen the case against Assange "will give Julian a chance to clear his name."He said in a statement that Swedish prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson had been under "intense political pressure" to reopen the case, and criticized authorities for "mishandling" it from the start. </s> STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and said it would seek his extradition from Britain.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought because Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy.

The United States is also seeking his extradition on charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a huge cache of secret documents.

The Swedish prosecutor said it would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant - the process under which his extradition would be sought.

The 47-year-old Australian is currently in prison in London after being sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars last month for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy.

The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to the United States to face conspiracy charges for hacking into classified information or to Sweden.

“I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US,” Persson said.

A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange.

The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years - a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for the alleged incident involving Assange, leaving prosecutors pressed for time to file any formal charge.

Responding to the reopening of the Swedish investigation, WikiLeaks said it would give Assange a chance to clear his name.

“Since Julian Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019, there has been considerable political pressure on Sweden to reopen their investigation, but there has always been political pressure surrounding this case,” Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief, said in a statement.

“Its reopening will give Julian a chance to clear his name.”

If convicted in Sweden, Assange could face a prison sentence of up to four years. Per Samuelson, a Swedish lawyer for Assange, told public service broadcaster the decision to reopen the case was “embarrassing for Sweden”.

The British courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence once Swedish prosecutors file theirs.

Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service, told Reuters before Monday’s decision that he expected a Swedish request would take supremacy.

“In the event of a conflict between a European Arrest Warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority,” a Swedish prosecutor’s statement said.

Assange’s supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family.

It also published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. </s> Swedish prosecutors on Friday dropped a preliminary probe into an allegation of rape against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, bringing to an end a seven-year legal standoff.

The announcement came after a letter sent to the Swedish government by the government of Ecuador saying there had been a "serious failure" by the prosecutor, including a "lack of initiative" to complete inquiries.

“Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny has today decided to discontinue the preliminary investigation regarding suspected rape concerning Julian Assange,” the prosecutors office said in a statement.

Assange has been living in the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012, trying to avoid extradition to Sweden. He fears if he went to Sweden he could face extradition to the US over WikiLeaks’ release of 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. </s> Vice chief prosecutor Eva-Britt speaks at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday May 13, 2019. Swedish prosecutors plan to say Monday whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via AP)

Vice chief prosecutor Eva-Britt speaks at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday May 13, 2019. Swedish prosecutors plan to say Monday whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via AP)

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Latest on Swedish prosecutors’ decision whether to reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (all times local):

2 p.m.

The lawyer for a Swedish woman who reported being raped by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2010 says “today we got great news.”

Elisabeth Massi Fritz says the decision by Swedish authorities to open the rape case against Assange “signals that no one stands above the law,” and that “the legal system in Sweden doesn’t give a special treatment to anyone.”

Massi Fritz told reporters Monday she spoke with her client, who is not named, by phone. She said her client “feels great gratitude.”

Earlier in the day, Swedish prosecutors said they will seek Assange’s extradition to Sweden.

Massi Fritz said she hoped justice would prevail, and “we believe the evidence is good enough that it must be tested.”

Assange denies wrongdoing. He is serving a 50-week prison term in London for jumping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face the allegations.

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11:45 a.m.

WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief says the Swedish decision to reopen a rape case against Julian Assange “will give Julian a chance to clear his name.”

Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement Monday that Swedish prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson had been under “intense political pressure” to reopen the case. He also asserted that the case has been “mishandled” from the start.

Persson announced the Swedish decision a month after Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange’s Swedish lawyer, Per E. Samuelsen, said that his client is innocent and he doesn’t understand the reasoning for reopening a 10-year-old case.

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11:35 a.m.

Julian Assange’s Swedish lawyer says he is “very surprised” by prosecutors’ decision to reopen a rape case against the WikiLeaks founder and says that his client is innocent.

Prosecutors in Stockholm announced the decision on Monday, a month after Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. They said they would seek Assange’s extradition from Britain.

Lawyer Per E. Samuelson told Swedish broadcaster SVT: “I do not understand the Swedish prosecutor’s ... reasoning for reopening a 10-year old case.”

Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange in 2010.

Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn’t be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020.

___

11:25 a.m.

Swedish prosecutors say they will seek the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Assange after he has served his 50-week prison term in Britain for jumping bail.

Prosecutors in Stockholm said Monday that they will reopen a rape case against Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange denies wrongdoing.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden’s deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference that “in order to execute the arrest warrant, the prosecutor will issue a so-called European arrest warrant.”

The Swedish move would leave Britain to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States, where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer.

___

11:15 a.m.

Swedish prosecutors are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden’s deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stockholm that “there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed a rape.” She added: “It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required.”

Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010.

Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn’t be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020.

___

9:25 a.m.

Swedish prosecutors plan to say Monday whether they will reopen a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Eva-Marie Persson, Sweden’s deputy director of public prosecutions, is scheduled to hold a news conference in Stockholm. If Sweden relaunches the case, that could leave Britain deciding whether to extradite him to the Scandinavian country or the United States.

Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges against Assange after he visited the country in 2010.

Seven years later, a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped when the statute of limitations expired. That left a rape allegation, which couldn’t be pursued while Assange was living at the embassy. The statute of limitations on that case expires in August 2020.

___

This story has been corrected to spell the name of Assange’s lawyer as Samuelson, instead of Samuelsen. </s> The Swedish authorities announced on Monday that they would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, who is serving a prison term in Britain for jumping bail as the United States seeks his extradition over accusations that he tried to assist in a huge breach of classified data.

The United States has already begun trying to extradite Mr. Assange, an effort that was expected to be prolonged and complex even before the announcement in Stockholm on Monday.

British officials will determine which case takes precedence, Swedish prosecutors said, adding that if Mr. Assange were eventually extradited to Sweden, he could not be sent to the United States without the consent of Britain.

The investigation stems from an accusation in August 2010 made by a Swedish woman who said Mr. Assange had sexually assaulted her.
Prosecutors in Sweden reopen the rape allegation investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Swedish prosecutors mention their intent to seek extradition of Assange from the United Kingdom after he has served his 50-week prison sentence for skipping bail.