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Julian Assange rape inquiry dropped but arrest in UK still possible - live | |
(35 minutes later) | |
1.03pm BST | |
13:03 | |
The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed to the Guardian that the European arrest warrant against Assange has been dropped after Sweden’s request. | |
1.02pm BST | |
13:02 | |
Ecuador seeking safe passage for Assange | |
Ecuador says it will now seek safe passage for Assange from its embassy in London to Ecuador, a source close to the case at the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry told PA. | |
It quoted the source saying: “Given that the European Arrest Warrant no longer holds, Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador.” | |
The source also said: | |
“Ecuador welcomes the decision to drop the charges against Julian Assange. This decision follows the interview of Julian Assange in Ecuador’s Embassy in London in November 2016. | |
“Ecuador regrets that the Swedish Prosecutor delayed more than four years in carrying out this interview. | |
“This unnecessary delay was despite the repeated insistence from the Ecuadorian government, since Ecuador granting asylum in 2012, that this interview was not only possible but that Ecuador would facilitate it in its Embassy. | |
“Ecuador was clear from the outset that it would fully co-operate with the Swedish justice system. As was once again communicated to the Swedish state as recently as May 8, Ecuador has regularly criticised as wholly unacceptable the conduct of the Swedish Prosecutor which has led to unnecessary delays in progressing this case.” | |
12.55pm BST | |
12:55 | |
EAW discharged | |
The European Arrest Warrant has been formally discharged, according to Richard Ford from the Times. Earlier Sweden’s chief prosecutor Marianne Ny confirmed that Sweden had withdrawn its request for a European arrest warrant against Assange. | |
European Arrest Warrant for Julian Assange discharged at Westminster Magistrates Court this morning | |
12.49pm BST | |
12:49 | |
France’s left wing former presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, claims Sweden’s decision is vindication for his support for Assange. | |
La Suède renonce aux poursuites pour viol contre Julian Assange. Nous avions raison de le soutenir.#Assange | |
12.47pm BST | |
12:47 | |
Matthew Weaver | |
This is Matthew Weaver taking over from Jon. | |
Our old colleague David Leigh, the former investigations editor of the Guardian who worked with Assange on the edited publication of the leaked US embassy cables before falling out with the Wikileaks founder. | |
Leigh, now a professor of journalism at City University, reckons that Sweden’s decision to drop the investigation (there were no charges) will change nothing. | |
What will change after Assange sex charges dropped? My bet: exactly nothing | |
12.35pm BST | |
12:35 | |
What we know so far | |
Here’s what we know so far about Swedish prosecutors’ unexpected decision to drop their investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after almost seven years: | |
The decision was taken because “all prospects of pursuing the investigation under present circumstances are exhausted” and there is “no reason to believe that the decision to surrender [Assange] to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future”. | |
It means Assange no longer faces sex crime allegations in Sweden, though prosecutors stressed they are not making a finding on Assange’s guilt or innocence and the investigation could be reopened should he return to the country before the statute of limitation expires in 2020. | |
In London, the Metropolitan Police have said there is still a warrant for Assange’s arrest on the less serious offence of failing to surrender to the court in June 2012. It would be “obliged to execute the warrant” if Assange leaves the Ecuadorian embassy, it said. | |
It is not known whether US authorities are seeking Assange’s arrest for his role at the head of WikiLeaks, which has published tens of thousands of leaked classified US documents. There may be a sealed indictment. | |
WikiLeaks tweeted after the Swedish announcement: “UK refuses to confirm or deny whether it has already received a US extradition warrant for Julian Assange. Focus now moves to UK.” | |
Per E Samuelsson, Assange’s lawyer in Sweden, told Swedish radio: “This is a total victory for Julian Assange. He is now free to leave the embassy when he wants. We have won the Assange case.” | |
Updated | |
at 12.47pm BST | |
12.17pm BST | 12.17pm BST |
12:17 | 12:17 |
The head of the Swedish bar association, Bengt Ivarsson, has told Svenska Dagbladet that the investigation into the rape allegations against Assange “did not move forward fast enough” and has “created a negative image of the prosecution service”: | The head of the Swedish bar association, Bengt Ivarsson, has told Svenska Dagbladet that the investigation into the rape allegations against Assange “did not move forward fast enough” and has “created a negative image of the prosecution service”: |
A government official has a responsibility to push an investigation forward. It has not happened in this case. Quite early on it was clear that Assange was not going to allow himself to be questioned in Sweden ... | A government official has a responsibility to push an investigation forward. It has not happened in this case. Quite early on it was clear that Assange was not going to allow himself to be questioned in Sweden ... |
The investigation has had a major impact internationally. And how this has been handled is not an advantage for the Swedish legal system. It has created a negative image of the prosecution service. | The investigation has had a major impact internationally. And how this has been handled is not an advantage for the Swedish legal system. It has created a negative image of the prosecution service. |
12.12pm BST | 12.12pm BST |
12:12 | 12:12 |
This is the scene outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London where Assange has been living since taking refuge there in 2012. There’s not a huge amount happening at the moment ... | This is the scene outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London where Assange has been living since taking refuge there in 2012. There’s not a huge amount happening at the moment ... |
12.06pm BST | 12.06pm BST |
12:06 | 12:06 |
The British Home Office has said the decision to drop the investigation into Assange is “a matter for the Swedish authorities and not one which the UK government has had any involvement in”. | The British Home Office has said the decision to drop the investigation into Assange is “a matter for the Swedish authorities and not one which the UK government has had any involvement in”. |
It added that Britain had a legal obligation to execute the European arrest warrant and arrest Assange, and that the EAW had been upheld by the UK courts, including the supreme court, which at every stage had found his extradition to Sweden would be “entirely lawful”. | It added that Britain had a legal obligation to execute the European arrest warrant and arrest Assange, and that the EAW had been upheld by the UK courts, including the supreme court, which at every stage had found his extradition to Sweden would be “entirely lawful”. |
The EAW will be formally withdrawn in the UK courts, it said. | The EAW will be formally withdrawn in the UK courts, it said. |
Updated | Updated |
at 12.18pm BST | at 12.18pm BST |
11.59am BST | 11.59am BST |
11:59 | 11:59 |
Matthew Weaver | |
My colleague Matt Weaver says Peter Tatchell, one of Assange’s most prominent supporters, has given a guarded welcome to the decision, but said he still faces the risk of extradition to the US. | |
Tatchell told BBC news: “It is good news from Julian’s point of view. I’m not in a position to say whether the allegations against him were true or not. He has always denied them. He was never charged with any sexual offence, these are only at the level of allegations. So it is a relief that they are being no longer being pursued. But it is not entirely satisfactory because the Swedish prosecutors seemed to say that they case could be reopened if he at any point returned to Sweden.” | |
Before he could leave the embassy, Tatchell added, Assange would need to “consult his legal advisers and begin some dialogue with the Metropolitan police and if necessary the attorney general”. He added: | Before he could leave the embassy, Tatchell added, Assange would need to “consult his legal advisers and begin some dialogue with the Metropolitan police and if necessary the attorney general”. He added: |
Much more substantive is the risk if he stepped outside the embassy that he could face extradition to the United States. We know that there is an ongoing national security investigation into Julian Assange and Wikileaks. We believe that a secret grand jury has been empanelled ... US attorney general Jeff Sessions said arresting Assange was a priority. So he certainly is in danger of extradition to the US. | Much more substantive is the risk if he stepped outside the embassy that he could face extradition to the United States. We know that there is an ongoing national security investigation into Julian Assange and Wikileaks. We believe that a secret grand jury has been empanelled ... US attorney general Jeff Sessions said arresting Assange was a priority. So he certainly is in danger of extradition to the US. |
Updated | |
at 12.36pm BST | |
11.52am BST | 11.52am BST |
11:52 | 11:52 |
Assange’s Swedish lawyer, Per E Samuelsson, has been talking to Swedish media. According to Svenska Dagbladet, he said Assange was “happy but laconic” and described the day as “a major victory for my client and myself”: | Assange’s Swedish lawyer, Per E Samuelsson, has been talking to Swedish media. According to Svenska Dagbladet, he said Assange was “happy but laconic” and described the day as “a major victory for my client and myself”: |
This is one of the happiest days of my life as a lawyer. The decision is based on the fact that he was questioned in November 2016 and could provide a good explanation of what happened. In April this year, we had evidence that the US is chasing him. It seems completely unreasonable for Sweden to prevent him from obtaining political asylum. | This is one of the happiest days of my life as a lawyer. The decision is based on the fact that he was questioned in November 2016 and could provide a good explanation of what happened. In April this year, we had evidence that the US is chasing him. It seems completely unreasonable for Sweden to prevent him from obtaining political asylum. |
The lawyer added that the case had been dropped because prosecutors approved Assange’s argument about what had happened when the alleged rape occurred: “This is obviously a case of consensual sex between two adults”. | The lawyer added that the case had been dropped because prosecutors approved Assange’s argument about what had happened when the alleged rape occurred: “This is obviously a case of consensual sex between two adults”. |
With regard to the UK arrest warrant, under which Assange could still be arrested if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy, he said he did “not know what Julian will decide to do now”. | With regard to the UK arrest warrant, under which Assange could still be arrested if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy, he said he did “not know what Julian will decide to do now”. |
Updated | Updated |
at 12.09pm BST | at 12.09pm BST |
11.41am BST | 11.41am BST |
11:41 | 11:41 |
A lawyer for Assange has welcomed the Swedish decision. Christophe Marchand, a member of Assange’s Brussels-based legal team, told AFP: | A lawyer for Assange has welcomed the Swedish decision. Christophe Marchand, a member of Assange’s Brussels-based legal team, told AFP: |
We have been waiting a long time for this decision. Julian Assange has been a victim of a huge abuse of procedure. We are very pleased and very moved, as this marks the end of his nightmare. | We have been waiting a long time for this decision. Julian Assange has been a victim of a huge abuse of procedure. We are very pleased and very moved, as this marks the end of his nightmare. |