STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Thursday they have received a formal request to reopen the rape investigation closed in 2017 involving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, from the legal counsel representing the alleged victim.

“Following today’s media reports that Julian Assange has been arrested in London, the legal counsel in Sweden has requested that the Swedish preliminary investigation regarding rape be reopened,” the authority said.

The request has been assigned to Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson, it added.

“We will now look into the matter and determine how to proceed. We cannot pledge any time frame for when a decision will be made,” Persson said in the statement.