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Swedish Prosecutor Wants to Question WikiLeaks Founder Assange in UK - Swedish Ambassador

© AP Photo / TOLGA AKMENWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London on May 1, 2019 to be sentenced for bail violation
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London on May 1, 2019 to be sentenced for bail violation - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A Swedish prosecutor wants to speak with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the United Kingdom, the investigation of rape allegations against him is ongoing, Swedish Ambassador to Russia Peter Ericson said.

A court in Sweden has refused to grant prosecutors permission to arrest Assange in absentia.

"As far as I understand, the court rejected the idea of an arrest in absentia because he [Assange] is already jailed in the United Kingdom. The investigation itself is ongoing. As far as I know, the Swedish prosecutor is seeking to talk to Assange in the United Kingdom," the ambassador said.

The diplomat added that the statute of limitations had run out for sexual assault claims against Assange, but the probe over rape allegations continued.

Assange, who faced sexual assault and rape allegations in Sweden in 2010, had been sheltered in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London until April this year when Ecuador withdrew its asylum offer. Assange has been fearing extradition to the United States as WikiLeaks released a number of the US government's confidential documents.

In May, a UK court found Assange guilty of breaching bail conditions and sentenced him to 11 months in prison.

The United States is seeking Assange's extradition on several counts, including conspiracy to hack into computers.

 

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