SWEDISH prosecutors’ surprise offer to question Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador’s London embassy offers a clear breakthrough in the deadlocked case, Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino says.
Assange took refuge in the London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations and has been ensconced there ever since.
“This allows us to see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Patino told reporters in Washington on Thursday.
“That light is still not close, but this is the first time there is a movement in the Swedish judicial system suggesting that it may proceed with an interview.”
The top Ecuadorean diplomat said he welcomed the Swedish move, but regretted it had not taken place earlier.
Up to now, Swedish prosecutors have refused to go to London to question the 43-year-old Australian former hacker over the allegations.
Assange has refused to go to Sweden to be questioned over the allegations, which he has vehemently denied, saying the sexual encounters were consensual.
But the prosecutor in charge of the case, Marianne Ny, said last week she was dropping her opposition as some of the alleged offences will reach their statute of limitations in August.
Entire Article Here
I wonder if Assange will now delay,delay, until August?
