A Swedish court on Monday rejected a request to detain Julian Assange over a 2010 rape case, dashing the prosecutor’s hopes of having him swiftly extradited from Britain.
The Uppsala district court said that while it considered the WikiLeaks founder “a suspect” in the case, the fact that Assange was currently in prison in Britain meant he does not need to be formally detained in Sweden to be questioned by Swedish prosecutors.
“As Julian Assange is currently serving a prison sentence, the investigation can proceed with the help of a European investigation order, which does not require Julian Assange’s detention [in Sweden]. The court therefore does not find it proportional to detain Julian Assange,” it said in a statement.
Eva-Marie Persson, Swedish deputy director of public prosecutions, had argued that the 47-year-old had not cooperated with the Swedish investigation previously, fleeing from an extradition order, and therefore needed to be arrested and questioned in Sweden.
Assange denies the allegations, which date back to 2010.
Monday’s ruling means the Swedish prosecutor cannot at this stage request Assange’s extradition from Britain.
Via France 24, The Guardian
