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A senior Swedish prosecutor on Monday quizzed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012, six years after he was accused of rape by a woman in Stockholm.
The 45-year-old Australian national has been living in the embassy for more than four years after he was granted political asylum by Ecuador amid fears he will be extradited to the United States and questioned over the release of 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq by his controversial website.
Ingrid Isgren, Sweden’s deputy chief prosecutor, arrived at the small central London embassy at 9.30 am, accompanied by another woman, where she was met by dozens of photographers and film crews. She paused briefly for photographs but made no comment to waiting reporters.
But a statement on behalf of the Swedish prosecutors said: “As the investigation is ongoing, it is subject to confidentiality. This confidentiality also applies according
to Ecuadorean legislation for the investigative measures conducted at the embassy. Therefore, the prosecutors cannot provide information concerning details of the investigation after the interview”.
Three days have been set aside for the interview, which follows years of legal and diplomatic wrangling between Sweden and Ecuador.
The interview is a significant step forward in a case that has been locked in deadlock since Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the allegation, which he denies.
Ecuadorean foreign minister Guillaume Long said, “This is something that Ecuador has been inviting the Swedish prosecutors to do ever since we granted asylum to Assange in 2012.
“There was no need for the Swedish authorities to delay for over 1,000 days before agreeing to carry out this interview, given that the Swedish authorities regularly question people in Britain and received permission to do so on more than 40 occasions in recent years,” he said.
After years of stalemate, representatives from the Swedish prosecutor’s office and Swedish police officers agreed to be present while Assange is questioned by an Ecuadorian official based on a previously approved set of questions.
A DNA sample will also be taken from Assange if he gives his consent.
The results of the interview will be transcribed and reported from Ecuador to the Swedish prosecutors in a written statement.
After this report, the prosecutors will take a view on the continuation of the investigation.
The Swedes will be allowed to ask for clarification of Assange’s responses during the questioning, but not put any fresh questions.
A small group of supporters were outside the embassy in the morning and unfurled banners in support of Assange.
Image: A supporter of Julian Assange holds a poster after prosecutor Ingrid Isgren from Sweden arrived at Ecuador's embassy to interview him in London. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters