George Galloway has defended his claim that the rape allegation against Julian Assange amounts to no more than bad "sexual etiquette".
The Respect MP provoked a storm by declaring in a video podcast that even if the claims against the WikiLeaks founder were true, they did not constitute rape.
Now he has issued a statement, insisting that the authorities in Britain would not have sanctioned a prosecution and claiming that the allegations had "all the hallmarks of a set-up".
"No never means yes and non-consensual sex is rape. There's no doubt about it and that has always been my position. But if my remarks on the podcast need clarification I am happy to do that," he said.
"Julian Assange, let's be clear, has always denied the allegations. And this has all the hallmarks of a set-up.
"I don't believe, from what we know, that the Director of Public Prosecutions would sanction a prosecution in Britain. What occurred is not rape as most people understand it.
"And it's important to note that the two women involved did not initially claim it."
Julian Assange with his lawyers inside the Ecuadorian Embassy Mr Assange, who is currently hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Sweden in 2010 but is resisting extradition there for questioning.
Mr Galloway, who is currently in Indonesia, said Mr Assange had repeatedly made clear he was ready to go to Sweden to face questioning if they guarantee he will not then be extradited to theUS.
"It is not denied that Assange had consensual sex with woman A on August 14, 2010 and similarly with Miss W three days later. She even hosted a party for him the following evening," he said.
"Over the next three days, the women met up and talked to a journalist about the events. On August 20, both went to a police station, not to allege rape, but to see if it was possible to force Assange to have an HIV test.
"An arrest warrant was issued and then withdrawn, with a chief prosecutor saying, 'I don't think there is reason to suspect he has committed rape'," he added.
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