WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange puts his thumb up in a police van in April this year

Swedish prosecutors today dropped an investigation into alleged rape by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Deputy chief prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson said the decision had been made despite prosecutors finding the plaintiff's claim 'credible', as she gave an update on the case involving Assange.

The 48-year-old Australian citizen, who has repeatedly denied the allegation against him made in 2010, is being held at Belmarsh Prison in London, awaiting extradition demands from the US.

The move avoids a possible dilemma for the UK courts which could have had to decide between competing extradition requests from the US and Sweden.

Ms Persson said in Stockholm that the complainant's evidence was deemed reliable, but that after nearly a decade, witnesses' memories had faded.

She told a press conference today: 'I'm discontinuing the preliminary investigation.

Sweden's Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson revealed the news in Stockholm today

'My assessment is that all investigative measures that can be taken have been taken. But... the evidence is not strong enough to file an indictment.'

The prosecutor said the decision to drop the investigation could be appealed.

She added: 'I would like to emphasise 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.'

Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said the focus should now move onto the 'threat' that Assange has been 'warning about for years: the belligerent prosecution of the United States and the threat it poses to the First Amendment'.

Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said the focus should now move onto the 'threat' that Assange has been 'warning about for years'

In June, a Swedish court ruled that Assange should not be detained, meaning that while a preliminary investigation in Sweden should not be abandoned, he would not be extradited and could be questioned in Britain.

Two months earlier, Assange was evicted from the Ecuador Embassy in London where he had been holed up since 2012.

He was immediately arrested and is currently serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for jumping bail in 2012.

He is also fighting extradition to the US, which accuses him of publishing secret documents.

Assange is wanted over 18 criminal counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law.

Mr Hrafnsson said: 'Sweden has dropped its preliminary investigation into Mr Assange for the third time, after reopening it without any new evidence or information.

'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.'

A statement issued by the Swedish prosecuting authorities said: 'The preliminary investigation concerning allegations against Julian Assange was resumed on May 13, 2019 after Assange left the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

'The investigation relates to a suspected rape committed in August 2010. A number of investigative measures have been conducted since May, largely in the form of witness interviews.

'The preliminary investigation has now been discontinued, the motive for which is that the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question.'

Pamela Anderson leaves Belmarsh Prison in South East London after visiting Assange in May

A spokesman for Mr Assange's legal team said: 'From the outset of Sweden's preliminary investigation, Julian Assange's expressed concern has been that waiting in the wings was a United States extradition request that would be unstoppable from Sweden - and result in his spending the rest of his life in a US prison.

'Now that the US does seek Mr Assange's extradition to stand trial on unprecedented charges for journalistic work, it continues to be a matter of extreme regret that this reality has never been properly acknowledged and that the process in Sweden - with which Mr Assange has always expressed his willingness to engage and indeed did so - became so exceptionally politicised itself.'

Anthony Hanratty, senior associate within the white collar crime and investigations team at BDB Pitmans, said: 'The decision of the Swedish prosecutor to drop its investigation won't have any effect on the US extradition request.

Julian Assange's father John Shipton at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London yesterday

'It simply means that matters won't be complicated by a competing extradition request from Sweden. The proceedings will continue as before and Assange still faces the same difficulties he always has in resisting extradition to the US.'

Yesterday, Assange's father John Shipton attended Westminster Magistrates' Court to see his son appear via a videolink from Belmarsh Orison.

The hearing was held ahead of what it expected to be a long-running extradition battle to get the Wikileaks founder to the US.

Assange is accused of leaking US government secrets in one of the largest breaches of confidential information.

Gareth Peirce, representing Assange, said he could not adequately prepare for his 'very challenging case' as the computer he had been given in jail was not suitable.