Update in the Assange case

Published: 4/11/2019 7:06:00 PM

After media reports that Julian Assange has been arrested in London, the counsel for the injured party has requested the Swedish preliminary investigation concerning rape be resumed. The case will be handled by the Swedish Prosecution Authority’s Development Centre in Gothenburg.

Director of Public Prosecution and Head of the Development Centre, Mikael Björk, has decided that Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson will lead the work regarding the request from the counsel for the injured party.

- We will now examine the case in order to determine how to proceed. The investigation has not yet been resumed, and we do not know today whether it will be. Furthermore, we cannot set a timetable for when any such decision will be made, says Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, Eva-Marie Persson.

A preliminary investigation can be resumed as long as the suspected crime is not subject to statute of limitation. In this case, the suspected crime of rape would be subject to statute of limitation in mid-August 2020.

The prosecutor cannot give further information for the time being. When information becomes available, this will be provided via a press release.

Press service
+46 10 562 50 20