Julian Assange faces Swedish prosecutor in London over rape accusation

Swedish authorities want to question Assange over allegations that he committed rape in 2010.

A senior Swedish prosecutor today quizzed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy here since 2012, six years after he was accused of rape by a woman in Stockholm.

Assange took refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy four years ago.

“After this report, the prosecutors will take a view on the continuation of the investigation”, it added.

Ecuadorian prosecutor Wilson Toaniga will be the one to carry out the interrogation, which was reportedly drafted and prepared by Swedish justice officials.

Swedish prosecutor Ingrid Isgren and Swedish police inspector Cecilia Redell will once again interview Assange through a representative of the Ecuadorian government.

Some of the alleged sex crimes by Assange against two women are no longer being investigated because of Sweden’s statute of limitations. London police ended their surveillance outside the embassy in 2015, but said Assange could be arrested if he leaves the building.

Prosecutors say no immediate decision on the future of Assange’s case will be made on Monday.

Prosecutors have said they will seek to take a DNA sample from Assange, if he agrees.

Samuelson, Assange’s Swedish lawyer, said he had been barred from the meeting.

“For some reason that I am not aware of, I am not on the list of approved persons that Ecuador has established”, Samuelsson told Radio Sweden.

“We have always said Julian Assange should answer the serious sex allegations but he has made it clear he is willing to answer the allegations”. Grand jury proceedings are secret in the U.S. Assange fears going to Sweden could lead to extradition to the U.S.to face the death penalty for espionage.

Swedish prosecutor Ingrid Isgren went to the embassy Monday and Tuesday to question Wikileaks founder Julian As.

By then Assange was in Britain, making it harder for Swedish prosecutors to question him. Sweden has issued an arrest warrant for him, which he has appealed against.

Last month, for instance, WikiLeaks published thousands of emails allegedly belonging to Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta, that suggested the Democratic nominee had a too-cozy relationship with Wall Street firms.

In 2010, WikiLeaks published thousands of classified USA military and diplomatic documents in what became one of the largest information leaks in US history.