Assange’s Swedish Rape Accuser Urges Reopening of Case Following His Arrest
The accusation was why he sought asylum in 2012.
Reuters / Peter Nicholls
The woman who accused Julian Assange of rape—leading him to seek asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012—has urged prosecutors to reopen the case now that he's been removed. Assange was dragged out of the embassy Thursday morning and has been arrested by British police for skipping bail seven years ago. The rape charges in Sweden were dropped in 2017—but the woman's lawyer has now told prosecutors that they must reopen the case and have the Wikileaks founder face justice. Lawyer Elisabeth Massi Fritz told the Swedish press: “My client and I have just received the news that Assange has been arrested. That's what we have been waiting for and hoping for almost seven years now [and it comes] as a shock to my client. We will do everything we can to ensure that the prosecutors resume the Swedish preliminary investigation so that Assange can be extradited to Sweden and prosecuted for rape.” The woman accused Assange of having sex with her as she slept without using a condom.
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