Sweden has dropped a rape investigation involving the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

A Swedish court ruled in June that Assange would not be extradited from Britain, but at the time said the investigation would continue.

WikiLeaks has welcomed the decision by the Swedish authorities to drop the investigation, after prosecutors announced the case has now been "discontinued".

Assange, from Australia, had always denied the rape-related allegations against him.

Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, 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."

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

The 48-year-old was evicted from the Ecuador Embassy in London in April, where he had been holed up for nearly seven years.

He was immediately arrested and was due to be released on 22 September from his 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012, but remains in custody pending extradition proceedings.

This article has been updated from the original one published to clarify why Assange remains in custody.