Swedish prosecutors have dropped a rape investigation involving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the BBC reports. Assange is in custody in the United Kingdom and faces extradition to the United States. Sweden’s Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson made the announcement Tuesday as she gave an update on the case. The statement said the evidence for the 2010 rape allegation has “weakened considerably” due to the long period of time that has elapsed since it the event. “I would like to emphasize that the injured party has submitted a credible and reliable version of events. Her statements have been coherent, extensive, and detailed; however, my overall assessment is that the evidential situation has been weakened to such an extent that that there is no longer any reason to continue the investigation,” said Persson. Assange has always denied the accusation. He avoided extradition to Sweden for seven years by hiding in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, but he was evicted in April and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions.
