Julian Assange To Be Questioned In London By Swedish Prosecutors

At last, the odds tilt slightly in favor of Julian Assange, as Swedish prosecutors offer to travel to London to question the Wikileaks founder over "sex assault allegations" according to BBC.

Earlier, they had tried to get him to Sweden for questioning, though he could not accept it, due to fear of being extradited to the US.

His lawyer, Per Samuelson, cheered. "He is willing to co-operate fully now in conducting this interrogation - this is a great victory for him," he told the BBC World Service. "We've been waiting for this for over four years."

The lead Swedish prosecutor explained why it has shown a change in its strategy----some charges against him would "expire" under the statute of limitations in August, he pointed out. "My view has always been that to perform an interview with him at the Ecuadorean embassy in London would lower the quality of the interview," Marianne Ny said in a statement.

"Now that time is of the essence, I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies in the investigation and likewise take the risk that the interview does not move the case forward."

Reportedly, the Swedish Supreme Court had asked the Attorney General with regard to Julian Assange's arrest, according to sputnik.

In 2010, the Swedish law enforcement had put out an arrest warrant for him---without criminal charges. Due to the arrest warrant, Assange is not able to leave his embassy. The UK police had put its forces around the compound and had decided to extradite him to Sweden if he stepped out into UK soil.

Assange resisted handing himself over to the Swedish authorities. Though he is an Australian, Assange took refuge in Ecuador, as his country may be forced to extradite him. Moreover, he filed a petition with the United Nations to oppose Arbitrary Detention.

The Justice for Assange asks, how is it likely for the Swedish government to "issue an Interpol Red Notice and a European Arrest Warrant" against a man who is situated in a known territory? Most people suspect that the Swedish decision is driven mainly by the US.

The FBI is leading a criminal probe against Julian Assange for his role in publishing the documents that were received from the former intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning, who has been sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment for espionage.

Assange is pessimistic about his case. "I'm condemned to death," he said to Radio Television Suisse earlier this month.