Leif Silbersky said Assange, an Australian citizen, was
questioned by police in Stockholm for about an hour late Monday and was
formally informed of the suspicions against him. Silbersky said his client
denies the allegation and is hopeful prosecutors will drop the case.
Police began investigating Assange earlier this month
after two Swedish women accused him of rape and molestation, but prosecutors
later closed the rape investigation. Molestation is not a sex crime under
Swedish law. It covers offenses such as reckless conduct or inappropriate
physical contact. It can result in fines or up to one year in prison.
Assange, who was in Sweden partly to seek legal
protection for WikiLeaks, has suggested that the accusations are part of a
smear campaign.
The whistle-blower's Internet site has angered Washington
by publishing thousands of leaked documents about US military activities in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
A police report obtained by The Associated Press shows
both women had befriended him in connection with a seminar he gave in Stockholm
on Aug. 14. The report shows they filed their complaints together six days
later.
