Sweden drops warrant for Wikileaks founder over rape claim

STOCKHOLM - Judicial authorities in Sweden said Saturday they have withdrawn an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over allegations of rape.

The warrant was issued Friday evening after two women went to police, following a visit by the 39-year-old Australian information activist to Sweden a week ago.

“As far as I am concerned there are no longer any grounds to suspect that he committed rape,” judicial affairs spokeswoman Eva Finne said.

Wikileaks shot to prominence in July, after the internet site, which campaigns for freedom of information, published thousands of classified documents relating to the conduct of the war in Afghanistan.

Assange rejected the accusations by e-mail and said he would contact police.

A spokeswoman for prosecutors said earlier that the two women had not laid formal charges against Assange, but that given the severity of the accusations and the danger of suppression of evidence, the arrest warrant had been issued.

Wikileaks said in its official blog that it had been made aware of the rape allegations.

“We are deeply concerned about the seriousness of these allegations. We the people behind Wikileaks think highly of Julian and and he has our full support,” it said.

Assange had whilst in Stockholm agreed cooperation with the Swedish Pirate Party, which will make internet server capacity available to the website free of charge.