Sweden withdraws rape inquiry into Julian Assange

Prosecutors in Sweden have abandoned an inquiry into a rape allegation against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange .

Deputy director of public prosecution Eva-Marie Persson made the announcement at a news conference in Stockholm on Tuesday.

Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said: “Sweden has dropped its preliminary investigation into Mr Assange for the third time, after reopening it without any new evidence or information. Let us now focus on the threat Mr Assange has been warning about for years: the belligerent prosecution of the United States and the threat it poses to the First Amendment.”

The Wikileaks co-founder has regularly denied the accusation against him asserting his innocence .