3 Out Of 4 Cases Against Julian Assange Soon To Become Time Barred

Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, could be cleared of three sex assault claims as the time limits for prosecution are set to expire while he remains in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, according to an Itv report.

Within the next week, three of the four allegations made against him in 2010 will reach the five-year expiry date set out under the country’s statute of limitations, the Swedish Prosecution Authority (SPA) confirmed.

A spokeswoman for the authority said one allegation of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion would expire on Thursday, while another of sexual molestation claim would expire on Tuesday 18 August.

An allegation of rape will, however, not expire until 2020, the spokeswoman added, meaning the legal impasse could remain.

The SPA spokeswoman said: “The prosecutor still wants to interview him. The prosecutor still has not got permission from Ecuador.”

The Ecuadorean embassy says Swedish authorities have never addressed them concerning Assange.

A representatiive for Mr Assange was quoted in The Times newspaper as saying: “It’s quite obvious that the Swedish authorities waited all these years. He [Assange] doesn’t have to clear his name. He has been asking to be interviewed in London for five years – he has asked for this to be moved forward.
“It’s come to a time to end this. That case should be dropped as well.”
Claes Borgstrom, a lawyer representing one of the alleged victims, called the expiration of the allegations an “injustice”.

Assange has remained in the embassy since claiming political asylum there in June 2012.