"If Assange gives his consent, the prosecutor will promptly submit a request for legal assistance to the British authorities to further continue the investigation," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement published Friday on its website. Prosecutors also note that they would ask Assange to provide his DNA via a swab.
The statement notes that Assange's personal approval is needed in order for prosecutors to question him, "as English law states that a person being interviewed through the use of international legal assistance in a criminal case must also provide his or her consent." The statement adds that "a request will also be sent to the Ecuadorian authorities regarding permission to perform investigative measures at the country’s embassy in London."
"My view has always been that to perform an interview with him at the Ecuadorian embassy in London would lower the quality of the interview, and that he would need to be present in Sweden in any case should there be a trial in the future. This assessment remains unchanged. Now that time is of the essence, I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies to the investigation and likewise take the risk that the interview does not move the case forward, particularly as there are no other measures on offer without Assange being present in Sweden," Ny noted.
The Australian journalist has been residing in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 to evade extradition to Sweden, where he was accused of sexually assaulting two women in a case brought against him in 2010, the same year that WikiLeaks began publishing US military and diplomatic documents. Assange has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying they are politically motivated.
