Swedish prosecutors work on fresh bid to question Wikileaks founder Assange in embassy
DEFIANT Swedish prosecutors are working on a fresh bid to question Wikileaks founder Julian Assange inside his London bolthole.
Swedish authorities try fresh attempts to question Julian Assange in embassy
They announced a renewed request yesterday to interview him at the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Sweden's prosecution authority said the new application to interview Assange came after a previous similar request was rejected by the Prosecutor General of Ecuador in January.
Marianne Ny, the Swedes' director of public prosecutions, added that they had not changed their stance in the wake of a United Nations report condemning Assange's "arbitrary detention".
Julian Assange welcomed the UN's findings
Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden over a sex assault allegation, which he has always denied.
Concerning the report that was issued last week, I would like to state that it does not change my earlier assessments in the investigation
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a brief statement: "The prosecutor responsible for the case, director of public prosecution Marianne Ny, is currently working on a renewed request to interview Julian Assange at Ecuador's embassy in London.
"A former request was rejected in January by the Prosecutor General of Ecuador."
Ms Ny added: "Concerning the report that was issued last week, I would like to state that it does not change my earlier assessments in the investigation."
Australian-born Assange, 44, sought asylum inside the Knightsbridge, West London, embassy building, four years ago.
He was jubilant last week at the UN report which condemned the way he had been forced to seek sanctuary with the Ecuadorians.
Marianne Ny said that the UN's findings had not changed Swedish investigations
The working group on arbitrary detention called on Britain and Sweden to end his "deprivation of liberty."
Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond condemned their assessment as "ridiculous" on a man who is "hiding from justice".
Assange has always denied the allegations against him and claims he will be sent from Sweden to the United States for questioning about WikiLeaks activities.