Reply #51: Sweden Reopens Investigation Into Rape Claim Against Julian Assange

[kpete]

Source: Common Dreams/AP

Published on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by the Associated Press
Sweden Reopens Investigation Into Rape Claim Against Julian Assange
Country's chief prosecutor reopens case against WikiLeaks founder, overruling decision of Stockholm chief prosecutor

STOCKHOLM -- A senior Swedish prosecutor reopened a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday, the latest twist to a puzzling case in which prosecutors of different ranks have overruled each other.

Assange has denied the allegations and suggested they are part of a smear campaign by opponents of WikiLeaks - an online whistle-blower that has angered Washington by publishing thousands of leaked documents about U.S. military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The case was dismissed last week by Eva Finne, chief prosecutor in Stockholm, who overruled a lower-ranked prosecutor and said there was no reason to suspect that Assange, an Australian citizen, had raped a Swedish woman who had reported him to police.

The woman's lawyer appealed the decision. Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny decided to reopen the case Wednesday, saying new information had come in on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/09/01-3