Sweden Reaches Deal to Interview Julian Assange in 2016

Sweden reached a deal that will allow authorities to interview Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has lived under asylum for the last three years.

The WikiLeaks founder has had a legal team deal with the case in the hopes of moving forward while keeping his safety paramount. Baltasar Garzon, one of Assange’s attorneys has spoken to the BBC on the matter, revealing Assange’s fear of his fundamental rights being disregarded.

“Julian Assange’s rights need to be respected by Sweden and the United Kingdom. These countries have failed to do so until now. Assange’s only demands are that his fundamental rights are acknowledged and respected, including the asylum granted to him by Ecuador.”

Assange will now be questioned over a rape allegation. Two other allegations involving sexual assault have since been dropped after they reached the five-year statute of limitations. Assange has denied all the allegations and has claimed that his arrest by Sweden would lead to the U.S extraditing him on matter related to a 2010 WikiLeaks publication that has seen Chelsea (formerly known as Bradley Manning) since arrested and convicted for 35 years under the Espionage Act.

In the years that Assange has remained ‘holed up’ in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Scotland Yard have spent $19.4 million in tax payers money to fund its five year operation of 24 hour surveillance. Scotland Yard announced in October an end to the round-the-clock surveillance.

It isn’t clear when the interview will happen. Chief prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren and a police investigator will likely question Assange once all necessary permits and arrangements have been made, according to The Guardian.

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