WikiLeaks chief faces new inquiry over rape case claims

A SENIOR Swedish prosecutor has reopened a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the latest twist to a puzzling case in which prosecutors of different ranks have overruled each other.

• WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Mr Assange has denied the allegations and suggested they are part of a smear campaign by opponents of WikiLeaks - an online whistle-blower that has angered Washington by publishing thousands of leaked documents about US military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The case was dismissed last week by Eva Finne, chief prosecutor in Stockholm, who overruled a lower-ranked prosecutor and said there was no reason to suspect Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, had raped a Swedish woman who had reported him to police.

The woman's lawyer appealed the decision. Director of Public Prosecutions Marianne Ny decided to reopen the case yesterday, saying new information had come in.

"We went through all the case material again, including what came in, and that's when I made my decision," to reopen the case, Ny said.

She declined to say what new information she had received or whether Mr Assange, who was questioned by investigators on Monday, would be arrested.

An arrest warrant issued on 20 August was withdrawn within 24 hours amid the back-and-forth between prosecutors.

Ms Ny said that "it's not uncommon" that such reversals take place in Sweden, in particular regarding eding allegations of sex crimes.

She also decided another complaint against Mr Assange should be investigated on suspicion of "sexual coercion and sexual molestation". That overruled a previous decision to only investigate the case as "molestation," which is not a sex offence under Swedish law.

Investigators have not released details about either case, though a police report shows both women met Mr Assange in connection with a seminar he gave in Stockholm on 14 August. The women filed their complaints together six days later.

Wikileaks made headlines on 25 July when it released tens of thousands of pages of secret US documents about Afghanistan.

Mr Assange is seeking legal protection for WikiLeaks in Sweden, one of the countries where the group says it has computer servers. The Swedish Migration Board has confirmed that Mr Assange has applied for a work and residence permit in the Scandinavian country.

WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said the group backs Mr Assange. "We hope he will clear his name. Meanwhile the WikiLeaks organisation is going on with its endeavours," Mr Hrafnsson said.

WikiLeaks says it intends to publish 15,000 more Afghan war documents in coming weeks, a disclosure that US officials say could endanger innocent people or confidential informants.

Claes Borgstrom, a lawyer who represents both women, welcomed the decision yesterday."This is a redress for my clients, I have to say, because they have been dragged through the mud on the internet, for having made things up or intending to frame Assange," he said.

Mr Borgstrom previously dismissed rumours the sex allegations were part of a conspiracy against Assange, saying "There is not an ounce of truth in all this about Pentagon, or the CIA, or smear campaigns, nothing like it."