A photographer stands outside of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Friday May 19, 2017. Sweden's top prosecutor says she is dropping an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian... (Associated Press) 
 
 STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden's top prosecutor said Friday she is dropping an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after almost seven years. 
 
 The announcement means the outspoken WikiLeaks leader no longer faces sex crime allegations in Sweden, although British police say he is still wanted in Britain for jumping bail in 2012. 
 
 Assange is still inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London where he has lived for nearly five years. Assange has indicated concerns that he may face indictment in the United States for his role at the helm of the WikiLeaks. 
 
 "This is a total victory for Julian Assange. He is now free to leave the embassy when he wants. We have won the Assange case. He is of course happy and relieved. He has been critical that it has lasted that long," Per E Samuelsson, his lawyer in Sweden, told Swedish Radio. 
 
 Samuelsson was not immediately available for further comment. 
 
 The Swedish Prosecution Authority said Friday that chief Marianne Ny "has decided to discontinue the investigation." Ny said she will call back the European arrest warrant on Assange. 
 
 Friday was the deadline for the Swedish prosecution to send a request to Stockholm District Court in the Assange case. 
 
 Assange, 45, took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London in 2012 to escape extradition to Sweden to answer questions about sex-crime allegations from two women. He has been there ever since, fearing that if he is in custody he might ultimately be extradited to the United States. 
 
 It is not known if U.S. officials are seeking Assange's arrest because of a possible sealed indictment. 
 
 Last month, President Donald Trump said he would support any decision by the Justice Department to charge Assange. 
 
 WikiLeaks tweeted after the Swedish announcement: "UK refuses to confirm or deny whether it has already received a US extradition warrant for Julian Assange. Focus now moves to UK." 
 
 Samuelsson, the lawyer in Sweden, told Swedish Radio he had been in touch with Assange via text message and the Australian had written, "Serious, Oh My God." 
 
 British police said despite Sweden's decision to drop a rape investigation, Assange still faces arrest if he leaves Ecuador's embassy in London. 
 
 The Metropolitan Police says there is a British warrant for Assange's arrest after he jumped bail in 2012, and the force "is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy." 
 
 But it adds that Assange is now wanted for a "much less serious offense" than the original sex crimes claims, and police "will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offense." 
 
 Police kept up round-the-clock guard outside the embassy until December 2015, when the operation was scaled back, in part because of the cost, which had exceeded 11 million pounds (over $17.5 million at the time). 
 
 ___ 
 
 Katz reported from London. Jill Lawless in London and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this story. 

 Sweden’s director of public prosecution says she has decided to discontinue the investigation into WikiLeaks founder 
 
 Swedish prosecutors have dropped their preliminary investigation into an allegation of rape against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, bringing an end to a seven-year legal standoff. 
 
 The decision was taken after prosecutors concluded that “at this point, all possibilities to conduct the investigation are exhausted”, Sweden’s director of public prosecutions, Marianne Ny, said on Friday. 
 
 “In order to proceed with the case, Julian Assange would have to be formally notified of the criminal suspicions against him. We cannot expect to receive assistance from Ecuador regarding this. Therefore the investigation is discontinued. 
 
 “If he, at a later date, makes himself available, I will be able to decide to resume the investigation immediately.” 
 
 The WikiLeaks founder sought asylum in Ecuador’s embassy in London in 2012 after losing court battles to avoid extradition to Sweden over the claims, which he denies. 
 
 Separate allegations of sexual assault, made by a second Swedish woman, were dropped by Swedish authorities in 2015 after the statute of limitations expired. 
 
 Shortly after the announcement on Friday morning, an image of Assange smiling was posted to his Twitter account. 
 
 Later he tweeted again: “Detained for 7 years without charge while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget.” 
 
 However, a lawyer representing the woman who made the allegation of rape described the decision as a “scandal”. 
 
 “It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts,” Elisabeth Massi Fritz told Agence France-Presse in an email. “My client is shocked and no decision to [end the case] can make her change [her view] that Assange exposed her to rape.” 
 
 With the threat of extradition to Sweden removed, the 45-year-old Australian could potentially opt to leave the embassy. 
 
 However, Assange’s lawyers have repeatedly said he will not do so without assurances that he willnot face extradition to the US over possible espionage charges linked to WikiLeaks’ publishing activities – the basis on which Ecuador granted him asylum. 
 
 
 
 The Metropolitan police in London said Assange would also face immediate arrest for breaching his bail conditions; a warrant was issued when he failed to attend a magistrates court after entering the embassy. 
 
 “The Metropolitan police service is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy,” the statement said. 
 
 
 
 It added: “Whilst Mr Assange was wanted on a European arrest warrant (EAW) for an extremely serious offence, the MPS response reflected the serious nature of that crime. Now that the situation has changed and the Swedish authorities have discontinued their investigation into that matter, Mr Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offence. The MPS will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence.” 
 
 Per Samuelson, Assange’s Swedish lawyer, told reporters the decision represented a total victory. 
 
 “This is one of the happiest days of my legal career. The decision was taken because he was interrogated in November 2016 and could give a good explanation of what happened … This is obviously about consensual sex between two adults.” 
 
 Ecuador’s foreign minister, Guillaume Long, also welcomed the decision, adding that he “regrets that the Swedish prosecutor delayed more than four years in carrying out this interview. Given that the European arrest warrant no longer holds, Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage, in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador.” 
 
 But Claes Borgström, the lawyer who originally represented Assange’s two accusers but is no longer involved in the case, said he found the decision regretful. He told the Guardian: “I understand why the prosecutors have dropped the case now. Such a long time has passed. But I regret that Julian Assange was not brought to the Swedish court of law to answer the allegations against him. 
 
 “All the time since he left Sweden it has been in his hands. He decided to avoid the arms of justice. He didn’t want to come to court. He didn’t want to answer the allegations, so he decided to escape.” 
 
 The EAW against Assange was formally withdrawn at Westminster magistrates court on Friday morning, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed. The UK Home Office said the decision to drop the rape investigation was a matter for the Swedish authorities, and not one in which the British government had any involvement. 
 
 Reuters reported in March that a long-running US grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks had been expanded to include recent leaks of CIA documents, a move that Assange’s lawyers said strengthened the grounds for his asylum claim. 
 
 Why has the rape inquiry into Julian Assange been dropped? Sweden's director of prosecutions Marianne Ny said that the possibilities for investigating the allegations, which date from 2010, had been exhausted and that it was therefore necessary under Swedish law to discontinue the inquiry. But, she said, it could be reopened if Assange returns to Sweden before the statute of limitations ends in 2020. Another allegation of sexual assault made by a second Swedish woman was dropped by Swedish authorities in 2015 after the statute of limitations expired. The UK government said on Friday it had no involvement in Sweden’s decision to drop the investigation. 
 
 Assange was interviewed by Sweden’s deputy public prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren, in the embassy in November, following a lengthy diplomatic and legal impasse between the Swedish and Ecuadorian authorities. 
 
 
 
 Friday’s announcement in Sweden followed the Swedish government receiving a letter from the government of Ecuador which accused the prosecutor of “serious failure”, including a “lack of initiative” to complete inquiries. 
 
 
 
 The letter raised questions about developments in the US since the election of Donald Trump as president, including a speech by the CIA director, Mike Pompeo, describing WikiLeaks as a “hostile intelligence service” and a threat to US national security. 
 
 Public declarations such as this constituted an “obvious risk” for Assange, the letter said. 
 
 The US attorney general, Jeff Sessions, said last month that arresting Assange was a priority. There are no charges against him, although media reports have suggested the US justice department is considering how to bring them. 
 
 “We’ve already begun to step up our efforts and whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail,” Sessions said. 
 
 Asked at a Conservative party campaign event in Edinburgh if the UK would now support a request to extradite Assange to the US, Theresa May said: “We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis.” 
 
 The prime minister added: “In relation to Julian Assange, any decision that is taken about UK action in relation to him were he to leave the Ecuadorian embassy would be an operational matter for the police.” 

 A photographer stands outside of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Friday May 19, 2017. Sweden's top prosecutor says she is dropping an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian... (Associated Press) 
 
 A photographer stands outside of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Friday May 19, 2017. Sweden's top prosecutor says she is dropping an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian... (Associated Press) 
 
 LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Swedish prosecutor ending investigation of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (all times local): 
 
 11:20 
 
 Sweden's top prosecutor, Marianne Ny, says she has withdrawn a European arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after concluding that it won't be possible to bring him to Sweden. 
 
 Ny told a news conference in Stockholm: "He has tried to dodge all attempts to avoid Swedish and British legal authorities. My assessment is the transfer cannot be carried out in a foreseeable future." 
 
 Ny says she has withdrawn a European arrest warrant. However, British police say Assange still faces arrest for jumping bail if he leaves the Ecuadorean embassy in London. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:45 a.m. 
 
 Despite Sweden's decision to drop a rape investigation, British police say that Julian Assange still faces arrest if he leaves Ecuador's London embassy. 
 
 The Metropolitan Police force says that there is a British warrant for Assange's arrest after he juimped bail in 2012, and it "is obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy." 
 
 But it adds that Assange is now wanted for a "much less serious offense" than the original sex crimes claims, and police "will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offense." 
 
 Police kept up round-the-clock guard outside the embassy until last year, when the operation was scaled back. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:30 a.m. 
 
 WikiLeaks says the ball is now in Britain's court after Sweden's decision to drop its rape investigation of Julian Assange. 
 
 Assange is wanted by British police for extradition to Sweden. But he also believes the United States wants to extradite him to face charges related to WikiLeaks' publication of classified American documents. 
 
 After the Swedish announcement. WikiLeaks tweeted: "UK refuses to confirm or deny whether it has already received a US extradition warrant for Julian Assange. Focus now moves to UK." 
 
 British police said before the announcement that Assange is still wanted in Britain for jumping bail. It is not clear if that may change now that the investigation has been dropped. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:20 a.m. 
 
 Sweden's top prosecutor says she is dropping an investigation into a rape claim against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after almost seven years. 
 
 The Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement Friday that Marianne Ny "has decided to discontinue the investigation." 
 
 Assange took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London in 2012 to escape extradition to Sweden to answer questions about sex-crime allegations from two women. He has been there ever since, fearing that if he is arrested he might ultimately be extradited to the United States. 
 
 Friday's announcement means Assange is no longer under any investigation in Sweden. British police said before the announcement that Assange is still wanted in Britain for jumping bail. It is not clear if that may change now that the investigation has been dropped. 

 Tweet with a location 
 
 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more 

 Image copyright AFP Image caption The focus will now be on whether Mr Assange can leave the Ecuadorean embassy in London 
 
 Sweden has decided to drop the rape investigation into Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. 
 
 Top prosecutor Marianne Ny said his arrest warrant was being revoked as it was impossible to serve him notice. 
 
 Mr Assange, 45, has lived in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012. He fears extradition to Sweden would lead to extradition to the US where he is wanted over leaks. 
 
 Ecuador has called on the UK to allow him safe passage out of the country. 
 
 However, police in London said they would still be obliged to arrest him if he left. 
 
 The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said Mr Assange still faced the lesser charge of failing to surrender to a court, an offence punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine. 
 
 But the UK has not commented on whether it has received an extradition request from the US, where Mr Assange could face trial over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents. 
 
 Mr Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, said the prosecutor's decision on Friday represented "a total victory" for his client. 
 
 But the Wikileaks founder responded angrily in a tweet: "Detained for 7 years without charge... while my children grew up and my name was slandered. I do not forgive or forget." 
 
 The plaintiff in the rape case was "shocked" by the decision, her lawyer said, and maintained her accusations against Mr Assange, Agence France-Presse reported. 
 
 The decision coincided with the release by Wikileaks of another tranche of documents about the CIA's technical capabilities. 
 
 Why has the case been dropped? 
 
 At a press briefing on Friday, Ms Ny said that by remaining in the embassy in London Mr Assange had evaded the exercise of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) that would have seen him extradited to Sweden. 
 
 She said that under Swedish law a criminal investigation needed to be conducted "as quickly as possible". 
 
 Sweden did not expect Ecuador's co-operation in formally notifying Mr Assange of the allegations against him, a necessary step in proceeding with the case, she added. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Marianne Ny said the case could resume if Mr Assange visited Sweden before August 2020 
 
 But she said: "If he were to return to Sweden before the statute of limitation on this case expires in August 2020, the preliminary investigation could be resumed." 
 
 She said it was "regrettable we have not been able to carry out the investigation", and added: "We are not making any pronouncement about guilt." 
 
 What does Ecuador say? 
 
 A source at the Ecuadorean foreign ministry told the Press Association that Ecuador had "fully co-operated with the Swedish justice system". 
 
 The source criticised the Swedish prosecutor for "unnecessary delays" in the case but welcomed the latest decision. 
 
 The source added: "Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador." 
 
 How did Mr Assange end up where he is? 
 
 The rape allegation followed a Wikileaks conference in Stockholm in 2010. Mr Assange always denied the allegations against him, saying sex was consensual. 
 
 He also said the case was politically motivated, as it followed massive Wikileaks dumps of secret US military reports that year. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Assange speaks to the BBC's John Simpson in 2014 
 
 Later that year he was arrested in London after Sweden issued an international arrest warrant against him. 
 
 Then, in June 2012, after exhausting legal avenues to prevent his extradition, Mr Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy, where he remains to this day. 
 
 What will happen to Mr Assange now? 
 
 After the news was announced on Friday, Wikileaks tweeted that the "focus now moves to the UK", but Mr Assange's fate still seems unclear. 
 
 The MPS issued a statement saying that its actions had been based on a response to a "European Arrest Warrant for an extremely serious offence". 
 
 It went on: "Now that the situation has changed and the Swedish authorities have discontinued their investigation into that matter, Mr Assange remains wanted for a much less serious offence. The MPS will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence." 
 
 The MPS said it would "not comment further on the operational plan". 
 
 Last month, Mr Samuelson filed a new motion calling for his client's arrest warrant to be lifted. 
 
 He cited a comment by new US Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the arrest of Mr Assange would be "a priority". 
 
 Mr Samuelson told Agence France-Presse: "This implies that we can now demonstrate that the US has a will to take action... this is why we ask for the arrest warrant to be cancelled."
– Swedish prosecutors say they've dropped a rape investigation into Julian Assange, but the WikiLeaks founder will still face arrest if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy in London that has been his home for the last five years. Swedish Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny asked the Stockholm District Court to revoke Assange's European arrest warrant Friday after concluding that bringing Assange to Sweden will not happen "in a foreseeable future," per the BBC and AP. "This is a total victory for Julian Assange. He is now free to leave the embassy when he wants," Assange's lawyer in Sweden tells the AP. But that’s not exactly the case. Earlier Friday, the UK's Metropolitan Police Service said an arrest warrant was issued for Assange when he violated his bail conditions by entering the embassy in 2012, reports the Guardian. Police are "obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy," the service said. Assange could also be extradited to the US, where he is likely to face trial over the leaking of documents through WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks on Friday tweeted the "UK refuses to confirm or deny whether it has already received a US extradition warrant for Julian Assange. Focus now moves to UK." On Friday morning, Assange tweeted a photo of himself relaxing with a big smile. He previously claimed his innocence.