An Assange supporter holds up a sign outside of the London embassy that reads, "Ecuador, country of freedom." (Photo: AFP)
Dec 14, 2015
Sweden reached a deal Sunday that will allow authorities to interview WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living under asylum for the past three years.
Assange's legal team said the deal will allow the case to move forward while ensuring his safety.
"Julian Assange's rights need to be respected by Sweden and the United Kingdom. These countries have failed to do so until now," Baltasar Garzon, one of Assange's attorneys, told the BBC on Sunday. "Assange's only demands are that his fundamental rights are acknowledged and respected, including the asylum granted to him by Ecuador."
Swedish police will now be able to question Assange over a rape allegation after dropping two other sexual assault investigations, which expired after reaching a five-year statute of limitations. Assange has denied the allegations and said he fears arrest by Sweden would lead to his extradition to the U.S., where he faces possible trial over his involvement in WikiLeaks, including the 2010 publication of a trove of secret U.S. military and State Department documents.
"It is, without doubt, an instrument that strengthens bilateral relations and will facilitate, for example, the fulfillment of judicial matters such as the questioning of Mr. Assange," the Ecuadorian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The deal follows years of debates over Assange's legal standing. In October, Scotland Yard announced it would end its 24-hour surveillance outside the embassy, a five-year operation costing $19.4 million (PS12.6 million) to taxpayers.
According to the British news agency PA, it is unlikely that Assange will be questioned until 2016.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Sweden reached a deal Sunday that will allow authorities to interview WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living under asylum for the past three years.
Assange's legal team said the deal will allow the case to move forward while ensuring his safety.
"Julian Assange's rights need to be respected by Sweden and the United Kingdom. These countries have failed to do so until now," Baltasar Garzon, one of Assange's attorneys, told the BBC on Sunday. "Assange's only demands are that his fundamental rights are acknowledged and respected, including the asylum granted to him by Ecuador."
Swedish police will now be able to question Assange over a rape allegation after dropping two other sexual assault investigations, which expired after reaching a five-year statute of limitations. Assange has denied the allegations and said he fears arrest by Sweden would lead to his extradition to the U.S., where he faces possible trial over his involvement in WikiLeaks, including the 2010 publication of a trove of secret U.S. military and State Department documents.
"It is, without doubt, an instrument that strengthens bilateral relations and will facilitate, for example, the fulfillment of judicial matters such as the questioning of Mr. Assange," the Ecuadorian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The deal follows years of debates over Assange's legal standing. In October, Scotland Yard announced it would end its 24-hour surveillance outside the embassy, a five-year operation costing $19.4 million (PS12.6 million) to taxpayers.
According to the British news agency PA, it is unlikely that Assange will be questioned until 2016.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Sweden reached a deal Sunday that will allow authorities to interview WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living under asylum for the past three years.
Assange's legal team said the deal will allow the case to move forward while ensuring his safety.
"Julian Assange's rights need to be respected by Sweden and the United Kingdom. These countries have failed to do so until now," Baltasar Garzon, one of Assange's attorneys, told the BBC on Sunday. "Assange's only demands are that his fundamental rights are acknowledged and respected, including the asylum granted to him by Ecuador."
Swedish police will now be able to question Assange over a rape allegation after dropping two other sexual assault investigations, which expired after reaching a five-year statute of limitations. Assange has denied the allegations and said he fears arrest by Sweden would lead to his extradition to the U.S., where he faces possible trial over his involvement in WikiLeaks, including the 2010 publication of a trove of secret U.S. military and State Department documents.
"It is, without doubt, an instrument that strengthens bilateral relations and will facilitate, for example, the fulfillment of judicial matters such as the questioning of Mr. Assange," the Ecuadorian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The deal follows years of debates over Assange's legal standing. In October, Scotland Yard announced it would end its 24-hour surveillance outside the embassy, a five-year operation costing $19.4 million (PS12.6 million) to taxpayers.
According to the British news agency PA, it is unlikely that Assange will be questioned until 2016.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.