Who is Julian Assange and why have Swedish prosecutors dropped their rape case against the Wikileaks founder? – The Sun

WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange has been repeatedly visited by pal Pamela Anderson in the Ecuadorian Embassy in Londonas he prepares to leave after Sweden dropped sexual assault allegations against him.

Heres thelowdown on Assanges efforts to avoid extradition to Sweden and his relationship with former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson.

PA:Press Association

Assange was in Sweden in August 2010 to speak at a conference when he met two women and had sex with them.

They later accused him of rape and molestation and Assange was questioned but never charged over the claims.

On November 20 after he had left the country, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Assanges arrest.

He gave himself up a week later and appeared before a judge in Westminster before being released on bail after his supporters paid 240,000 in cash and sureties.

Legal arguments continued until June 2012, when Swedish prosecutors called for him to be extradited something his lawyers were against in case he was sent to the US.

On June 19, 2012, he fled bail and applied for asylum in Ecuador, through the embassy in Knightsbridge.

The Ecuadorian authorities stated that he could remain as long as he wishes.

Assange was granted asylum in August that year but if he had set foot outside the building, Britain would have deported him to Sweden.

After pursuing the rape allegations for seven years, Swedens director of public prosecutions Marianne Nyhas decided to drop the case because theres no possibility of arresting him in the foreseeable future.

The prosecutor filed a request to the Stockholm District Court to revoke the arrest warrant.

At this point, all possibilities to conduct the investigation are exhausted, said Marianne Ny.

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.

Shortly after the announcement on May 19 Assange posted a picture of himself smiling on Twitter.

But theMet Police were quick to warn Assange: Well still arrest you.

Scotland Yard said they were obliged to execute an arrest warrant of Assange, which remains outstanding from when he failed to attend Westminster Court on June 29 2012.

Assanges mum Christine has called on Aussie PM Malcom Turnbull to press British authorities to allow her son safe passage to Ecuador.

Twitter / @JulianAssange

The 45-year-old is an Australian native who spearheaded the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks to expose the inner workings of governments, military and trade deals around the world.

Assange is a hacker, freedom of information advocate and a self-confessed political refugee.

He was born in Queensland in 1971 and attended the citys Central university where he studied programming, mathematics and physics.

Assange has a software designer son called Daniel with ex-wife Teresa.

Getty Images

Wikileaks was set up in 2006 to allow whistle-blowers to release anonymous documents.

The site - and Assange - became household names when Chelsea Manning leaked information about the US military.

One of the leaks was a video called Collateral Murder, which showed unarmed Iraqis being gunned down by American helicopters.

Assange has since been involved in the publication of material exposing toxic waste dumping on the ivory coast, Scientology manuals and Guantanamo Bay detention camp procedures.

At one point there were five major films about Wikileaks in development with one, The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch, released in 2013.

Most recently, Wikileaks claimed UK government helped CIA hack Samsung Smart TVs and turn them into "microphones".

It has been reported that TV viewers were stalked by a virus in their set called the Weeping Angel.

Software was also allegedly developed by the CIA to hack into peoples smartphones, computers and cars.

It claimed the papers dubbed Vault 7 expose how a sinister TV surveillance program was developed by UK and US spy chiefs.

Getty Images

Baywatch star Pamela Anderson whose close friendship with Wikileaks founder Assange has set tongues wagging has visited Assange at the embassy repeatedly.

It comes two weeks after the 49-year-old actress wrote a cringe-worthy online love letter to sexy Assange calling for world leaders to help set him free.

Pamela, 49, was introduced to Assange by Vivienne Westwood in August 2014, and sought advice from him about her animal rights charity.

She has since been pictured entering the building on six occasions.

On Anderson, Assange has said: "Shes an attractive person with an attractive personality and whip smart. Shes no idiot at all, she psychologically very savvy."

Asked if he was in love with Pam, he added: "Well I mean I like her, shes great. Im not gonna go into private details."

In an interview with Australian hosts Kyle and Jackie O Pamela pretty much confirmed their relationship saying: It was never the intention to become romantic.

"It was just to join forces to do something important. Things happen for sure.

In March she published a blog post in which she praised Assange and what he was doing.

She said: "Julian is trying to free the world by educating it. It is a romantic struggle.

"I love him for his."

AP:Associated Press

The Aussie has been visited byLady Gaga, Eric Cantona and Yoko Ono, and several times byPamelaover the past few months.

Assange had to have his internet access cut off to stop him interfering in the US presidential election.

Wikileaks published thousands of emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign in the final weeks of the race for the White House.

Assange defended the publication, denying links with Russia and claims that his website was trying to influence the US vote.

He also has a cat for company, which has its own dedicated Twitter account @EmbassyCat.

-A previous version of this story said that Assange had sex with two men who later accused him of rape. In actual fact they were women. The story was corrected on 10th March.

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Who is Julian Assange and why have Swedish prosecutors dropped their rape case against the Wikileaks founder? - The Sun