Prosecutor to interview Assange over charges

He has been a resident at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since June 2012.

Sweden have attempted to win permission from Ecuador to interview Julian Assange – but their terms and conditions were rejected. “This this a victory that can not be denied”, said Assange according to Reuters. The opinion has no legal force whatsoever in the United Kingdom, and will be roundly ignored by those seeking Assange’s arrest. But in 2012, while on bail, he sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London so he could avoid extradition.

Whether the ruling will do anything to draw Assange’s extended stay in the embassy to a close is unclear. The transparent will of the U.S. is to have Assange extradited so that he can be prosecuted. Last year, prosecutors dropped investigations of less serious allegations into alleged sexual assault as their statute of limitations expired, but were not willing to do so with the more serious rape allegation, which centers around a woman’s claim that Assange had sex with her when she was asleep, which can be considered rape in Sweden.

The work of Wikileaks, and Julian Assange’s role as founder and face of the operation, has made him a target for the USA and British governments.

In short, it could be the beginning of the end of Ecuadorian embassy farce. A few months before his arrest, he had interviewed Ecuador President Rafael Correa, during which Correa welcomed him to “the club of the persecuted”. Wikileaks also released hundreds of thousands of documents related to the War in Afghanistan and Iraq known as the Afghan War Diary and the Iraq War Logs.

Last week, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued its conclusion – a non-binding legal opinion – that Assange had been subjected to arbitrary detention by the Swedish and British governments. Protesters have asked Assange’s supporters to gather Friday outside the Ecuador embassy in London.

What are the reasons for the United Nations ruling?

The Swedish foreign ministry said the United Nations panel did not have the right to “interfere in an ongoing case handled by a Swedish authority”.

No. Both the British and the Swedish governments have refused to accept the findings.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond branded the working group’s findings as “frankly ridiculous” and said the Australian was “hiding from justice”.

Assange looked jubilant after the ruling as he addressed reporters and his supporters from the balcony of the embassy, saying he felt “vindicated”. The opinion suggests that Assange’s initial detention at Wandsworth Prison was “arbitrary” even though it was perfectly lawful in this country. However, other than a moral upper hand, Assange may not have gained much.