Post by Big Lin on Aug 21, 2010 20:54:43 GMT
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bee5d7a-ad40-11df-a85a-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss
Financial Times, Saturday Aug 21 2010
Swedish prosecutor drops WikiLeaks rape charge
By Andrew Ward in Stockholm
Published: August 21 2010 18:08 | Last updated: August 21 2010 18:08
WikiLeaks was embroiled in fresh controversy on Saturday after Swedish prosecutors dropped rape charges against Julian Assange, the founder of the website which is embroiled in a dispute over the release of classified US war documents, hours after they had issued a warrant for his arrest.
“I do not think there is reason to suspect that he committed rape,” said Eva Finn, chief prosecutor at the Swedish National Prosecutors’ Office.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Pentagon concludes WikiLeaks broke law - Aug-21.In depth: Afghan military secrets - Apr-09.Civilian casualties in Afghanistan rise - Aug-10.Eight foreign workers killed in Afghanistan - Aug-08.Taliban is winning Afghan war, says Zardari - Aug-03.Analysis: Online leaks: A digital deluge - Jul-30..Earlier on Saturday, prosecutors said Mr Assange was wanted on charges of rape and molestation related to two separate incidents during a visit to Sweden this week.
Mr Assange, whose whistleblower website drew fierce criticism from the US government last month for publishing more than 70,000 classified documents related to the war in Afghanistan, said the allegations were “without basis”.
“We were warned to expect ‘dirty tricks.’ Now we have the first one,” he said via the Twitter social networking website.
In a statement late on Saturday afternoon, the prosecutors office said both charges had been dropped and it was no longer seeking Mr Assange’s arrest.
Mr Assange, an Australian, set up WikiLeaks as an online focal point for whistle blowers to leak information on government and corporate wrongdoing.
He has threatened to release a further batch of documents on the Afghanistan war in defiance of US warnings that the leaks pose a threat to intelligence sources.
Mr Assange was in Sweden this week for a series of talks and interviews in a country where WikiLeaks keeps some of its servers because of strong Swedish laws on press freedom.
He held talks with the Pirate party, a Swedish political party dedicated to internet freedom, about co-operation and signed up as a columnist for Aftonbladet, one of the country’s top tabloid newspapers.
News of the police investigations against Mr Assange were first reported in Expressen, another Swedish tabloid.
Writing on his Twitter account, Mr Assange said: “The charges are without basis and their issue at this moment is deeply disturbing.”
the Pentagon this week concluded that WikiLeaks broke US law by releasing 76,000 government documents last month, a view that could lead to charges against the whistleblower group.
Financial Times, Saturday Aug 21 2010
Swedish prosecutor drops WikiLeaks rape charge
By Andrew Ward in Stockholm
Published: August 21 2010 18:08 | Last updated: August 21 2010 18:08
WikiLeaks was embroiled in fresh controversy on Saturday after Swedish prosecutors dropped rape charges against Julian Assange, the founder of the website which is embroiled in a dispute over the release of classified US war documents, hours after they had issued a warrant for his arrest.
“I do not think there is reason to suspect that he committed rape,” said Eva Finn, chief prosecutor at the Swedish National Prosecutors’ Office.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Pentagon concludes WikiLeaks broke law - Aug-21.In depth: Afghan military secrets - Apr-09.Civilian casualties in Afghanistan rise - Aug-10.Eight foreign workers killed in Afghanistan - Aug-08.Taliban is winning Afghan war, says Zardari - Aug-03.Analysis: Online leaks: A digital deluge - Jul-30..Earlier on Saturday, prosecutors said Mr Assange was wanted on charges of rape and molestation related to two separate incidents during a visit to Sweden this week.
Mr Assange, whose whistleblower website drew fierce criticism from the US government last month for publishing more than 70,000 classified documents related to the war in Afghanistan, said the allegations were “without basis”.
“We were warned to expect ‘dirty tricks.’ Now we have the first one,” he said via the Twitter social networking website.
In a statement late on Saturday afternoon, the prosecutors office said both charges had been dropped and it was no longer seeking Mr Assange’s arrest.
Mr Assange, an Australian, set up WikiLeaks as an online focal point for whistle blowers to leak information on government and corporate wrongdoing.
He has threatened to release a further batch of documents on the Afghanistan war in defiance of US warnings that the leaks pose a threat to intelligence sources.
Mr Assange was in Sweden this week for a series of talks and interviews in a country where WikiLeaks keeps some of its servers because of strong Swedish laws on press freedom.
He held talks with the Pirate party, a Swedish political party dedicated to internet freedom, about co-operation and signed up as a columnist for Aftonbladet, one of the country’s top tabloid newspapers.
News of the police investigations against Mr Assange were first reported in Expressen, another Swedish tabloid.
Writing on his Twitter account, Mr Assange said: “The charges are without basis and their issue at this moment is deeply disturbing.”
the Pentagon this week concluded that WikiLeaks broke US law by releasing 76,000 government documents last month, a view that could lead to charges against the whistleblower group.