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Wednesday
Sep012010

Rape investigation against WikiLeaks head, Julian Assange, reopened

DateWednesday, September 1, 2010 at 11:24AM

The legal troubles of WikiLeaks' head honcho don't seem to end.

A rape case which was ditched by prosecutors in Sweden against Julian Assange was reopened on Wednesday.

The case has gone back and forth between battling prosecutors in Sweden. An arrest warrant for rape that was issued by one prosecutor more than a week ago was withdrawn by another shortly afterwards.

The latest reversal came after the woman who filed the initial rape claim appealed the decision to drop the investigation, Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny said.

"We went through all the case material again, including what came in [Tuesday], and that's when I made my decision" to reopen the case, Ny told The Associated Press by phone.

Assange, 39, was questioned by Swedish police on Tuesday regarding the accusation of molestation.

Ny added that another case, which accuses Assange of molesting a second woman, will also be investigated on suspicion of "sexual coercion and sexual molestation." This is a change, as the case was originally seen as only "molestation," which in Sweden is not considered a sex offense.

"This is a redress for my clients," said Claes Borgstrom, a lawyer who represents both women. "They have been dragged through the mud on the Internet, for having made things up or intending to frame Assange."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/09/01/2010-09-01_rape_investigation_against_wikileaks_head_julian_assange_reopened.html?r=news#ixzz0yIBk1TLc

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