This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/julian-assange-releases-full-testimony-swedish-prosecutors-wikileaks-sexual-assault-a7460356.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Julian Assange releases full testimony to Swedish prosecutors six years after rape allegation Julian Assange releases full testimony to Swedish prosecutors six years after rape allegation
(35 minutes later)
Julian Assange says he is "entirely innocent" of rape in his first full testimony to Swedish prosecutors that he has defiantely made public online. Julian Assange says he is "entirely innocent" of rape in his testimony to Swedish prosecutors that he has defiantely published online.
The WikiLeaks editor-in-chief  has spent four years inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London avoiding an impending arrest surrounding the claims of two women. The WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, in a 19-page statement he gave in a landmark interview to Swedish investigators, also said he had been subjected to "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment".
It is the first time he has gone public with his version of events over the rape and sexual assault allegations. The 45-year-old computer programmer has been holed up inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for four years to avoid arrest.
His statement includes detailed accounts of what he calls “consensual and enjoyable” sex with a woman known as ‘SW’, which he says occurred four or five times. "I want people to know the truth about how abusive this process has been," said the Australian journalist.
Mr Assange says text messages between him and SW prove the sex was consensual. "Furthermore, in the past the prosecution has fed partial information to tabloids that politically oppose me. It is better that my statement, which I am happy with, and which makes it obvious to all that I am innocent, sees the light in full."
The 45-year-old said: “I… could not believe my eyes when five days later I saw a headline in a Swedish tabloid that I was suspected of a crime and arrested in my absence. Award-winning Mr Assange, who infamously hacked into US state defence, US Navy and NASA pages from Australia, founded news leaks website WikiLeaks in 2006.
"I immediately made myself available to Swedish authorities to clarify any questions that might exist, even though I had no obligation to do so.” In November, 2010, US authorities announced an ongoing criminal investigation into the website and Mr Assange over espionage.
In his 19-page statement, Assange also says he has been subjected to “six years of unlawful, politicised detention without charge.” In that same month Swedish prosecutors said they were reopening a case, which they previously closed, surrounding sexual assault allegations from two women committed in Sweden in August of that year.
He says he has been subjected to “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment” and denied effective legal representation in the process. "Six years ago today, on 7 December 2010, I was handcuffed and locked into Wandsworth prison by order of a Swedish prosecutor," Mr Assange says, in his testimony.
“I want people to know the truth about how abusive this process has been,” he said. "During the height of the Pentagon’s conflict with me the following month, the allegation was resurrected by the current prosecutor, Marianne Ny.
“Furthermore, in the past the prosecution has fed partial information to tabloids that politically oppose me. "It was immediately seized on to extinguish my freedom of movement and harm my reputation."
“It is better that my statement, which I am happy with, and which makes it obvious to all that I am innocent, sees the light in full.” Last month, for the first time, Ms Ny's deputy and a police officer interviewed Mr Assange at the embassy, where he is an asylum-seeker, about a single allegation of "rape: less serious crime".
His full statement describes how he was handcuffed and locked into Wandsworth prison, on 7 December, 2010, upon the orders of Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny. Swedish prosecutors are awaiting transcripts from the Equadorian embassy, but he rebelliously beaten them to it by publishing his statement on Wednesday.
It quickly clarifies that he is not Swedish, does not speak Swedish and has never lived in Sweden, despite widespread confusion among media. His includes detailed accounts of what he calls “consensual and enjoyable” sex with a woman known as ‘SW’, which he says occurred four or five times, and publishes a string of text messages he claims the woman sent.
He claims he was cleared of the allegation that same year by chief prosecutor Eva Finne, but that during the height of his conflict with the Pentagon, it was "immediately seized on to extinguish my freedom of movement and harm my reputation". SW reportedly says she was asleep during sex, which under constitutes rape in Sweden, but Mr Assange says: "I was certain SW was not asleep.
"I was also certain she expressly consented to unprotected sex before such intercourse started.
"This is also evidenced by SW's own text messages."
The 45-year-old also adds: “ Therefore I could not believe my eyes when five days later I saw a headline in a Swedish tabloid that I was suspected of a crime and arrested in my absence.
"I immediately made myself available to Swedish authorities to clarify any questions that might exist,although I had no obligation to do so.”
He also clarifies that he is not Swedish, does not speak Swedish and has never lived in Sweden, despite widespread confusion among media.
Mr Assange accuses Swedish prosecutors of breaking the rules by releasing his name to a tabloid and talks of the "40 press releases and press conferences about me".Mr Assange accuses Swedish prosecutors of breaking the rules by releasing his name to a tabloid and talks of the "40 press releases and press conferences about me".
"As a result, to this day more than half a million webpages falsely conlate my name with the word 'rape'," he added. "As a result, to this day more than half a million webpages falsely conflate my name with the word 'rape'," he added.
In February, the United Nations called on the UK and Sweden to end 'arbitrary detention' and compensate him. In February, the United Nations called on the UK and Sweden to end 'arbitrary detention' and compensate him. It also said his treatment was "cruel, inhuman and degrading".
Mr Assange was interviewed at the Ecuadorian London embassy for the first time last month by Ms Ny's deputy and a Swedish police officer.  
He is accused of initiating sex with SW while she was asleep, which under Swedish law, constitutes rape.
A Swedish Prosecution Authority spokesman confirmed to The Independent that Mr Assange was still being investigated on one account of "suspicion of rape: less serious crime".A Swedish Prosecution Authority spokesman confirmed to The Independent that Mr Assange was still being investigated on one account of "suspicion of rape: less serious crime".
"We know that Julian Assange has published his statement but we can't give any comments about that," said the spokesman."We know that Julian Assange has published his statement but we can't give any comments about that," said the spokesman.
"We await the transcripts of the interviews that were conducted at the Ecuadorian embassy and when we receive it from the Ecuadorian authority we will take action after that, whether that means we will not conduct any more investigations or introduce measures.""We await the transcripts of the interviews that were conducted at the Ecuadorian embassy and when we receive it from the Ecuadorian authority we will take action after that, whether that means we will not conduct any more investigations or introduce measures."
More follows