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Rape charges against Wikileaks founder dropped

Just hours after arresting him ‘in absentia’, Sweden admits it messed up.

SWEDEN HAS moved to drop the rape charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, claiming they were “unfounded”.

The move comes just hours after the charges were issued, the BBC reports.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority website said the chief prosecutor had come to the decision that Mr Assange was not suspected of rape but did not give any further explanation. In a brief statement chief prosecutor, Eva Finne, said: “I don’t think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape.”

Assange, the founder of the Wikileaks whistleblowing website, had vehemently denied the rumours via the organisation’s Twitter page earlier in the day.

In its blog on Saturday, Wikileaks said it was “deeply concerned about the seriousness of these allegations. We the people behind Wikileaks think highly of Julian and and he has our full support”.

The current whereabouts of Mr Assange, a 39-year-old Australian, are unclear, the BBC adds.

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Jennifer O'Connell
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