Sweden to question Wikileaks' Assange over molestation allegations
Wikileaks founder has been accused of molestation
By Mikael Ricknäs | Published: 10:24, 26 August 2010
Swedish chief prosecutor Eva Finné has ordered that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange be questioned about molestation allegations.
A second set of charges against him have been dropped, she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Last Friday night, a warrant was issued for Assange's arrest on suspicion of rape as a result of the first of the two cases. On Saturday, Finné took over the handling of the case and dropped the rape charge and warrant.
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On Monday, Finné said she would decide if Assange should be charged with a lesser crime, but after examining the interview with the first woman she folded that part of the investigation. Finné doesn't doubt the information given to the police by the woman, but has drawn the conclusion that no crime was committed by Assange, she said.
However, in the second case, the charge of molestation still stands, and the investigation will now continue with the questioning of Assange, according to Finné.
In Sweden, molestation covers many different offenses, and if Assange is found guilty he faces a fine or up to one year in prison. A fine is the more common of the two, according to Finné.
Wikileaks has come under severe criticism from the US government for recently publishing thousands of documents related to the war in Afghanistan.
