SWEDEN. (THECOUNT) — Sweden has suddenly dropped a preliminary investigation Wednesday into alleged rape by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Assange, 48, who spent 7 years in Ecuador’s embassy in London before he was dragged out in April, is still wanted in the U.S. to face 18 counts, including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law.

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In response to the Swedish announcement, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said: “Let us now focus on the threat Mr. Assange has been warning about for years: the belligerent prosecution of the United States and the threat it poses to the First Amendment, reports FoxNews.

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Geo quick facts: Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, encompasses 14 islands and more than 50 bridges on an extensive Baltic Sea archipelago. The cobblestone streets and ochre-colored buildings of Gamla Stan (the old town) are home to the 13th-century Storkyrkan Cathedral, the Kungliga Slottet Royal Palace and the Nobel Museum, which focuses on the Nobel Prize. Ferries and sightseeing boats shuttle passengers between the islands – wikipedia.