*** Update: Warrant withdrawn.
(Reuters) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose whistle-blowing website caused uproar last month with a leak of secret U.S. military files on Afghanistan, has been charged in Sweden with rape and molestation, the National Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday.
Assange was quoted by a Swedish daily as denying the allegations.
Assange, an Australian, was in Sweden last week to discuss his work and defend his intent to publish further documents on the war in Afghanistan. He has close ties with the Nordic country, where WikiLeaks has said it keeps some of its servers.
“We can confirm that he’s wanted. He was charged last night — the allegation is suspected rape,” said Karin Rosander, Director of Communications at the National Prosecutor’s office.
“One is rape and one is molestation,” she said, without giving details.
Assange, whose whereabouts is unclear, told Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter via email he had not been contacted by police.
“Why these accusations are popping up right now is an interesting question. I have not been contacted by police. These allegations are false,” he said.
WikiLeaks was not available by telephone when contacted by Reuters.
U.S. officials have called the leak, including more than 70,000 documents detailing the war in Afghanistan, one of the biggest security breaches in U.S. military history.