After Wikileaks founder Julian Assange implied Rich was the source of the recent Democratic National Convention leak – and offered $20,000 for info on Rich’s murder – the grieving family slammed him for trying to “politicize this disgusting tragedy”.
Advertisement
Assange, 45, sought refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy in London in June 2012 after exhausting all his legal options in Britain against extradition to Sweden.
The office of Ecuador’s attorney general “notified the prosecutor of the kingdom of Sweden of its willingness to process the interrogation of Julian Assange at the embassy of Ecuador in London”, the external ministry said in a statement. He has not been charged and denies the rape claim and other allegations made against him by two women.
However, the more serious allegations of rape will not expire until 2020 – meaning that if Swedish prosecutors do not ultimately drop their investigation, or if Ecuador does not surrender Assange willingly, he could remain in the embassy for another four years.
Ecuador’s officials are hashing out the details with Swedish officials and as of Thursday morning, haven’t set a date for an interview.
On Tuesday, WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward for information on Rich’s murder and, in an interview on Dutch TV, Julian Assange suggested that Rich was the source of the leaked DNC emails that showed Democrat staffers actively working against Bernie Sanders during the primary and nearly blew up the Democratic convention.
“It means that a questioning can make the case go forward”.
Assange refuses to go to Sweden because he believes he will be extradited to the US over his WikiLeaks activities.
In December, Ecuador and Sweden finally signed an agreement of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, which will provide the legal framework for the questioning of the WikiLeaks founder in the London embassy, according to Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry.
Swedish prosecutors have previously balked at questioning Assange at the embassy in London, arguing it should take place on Swedish soil.
Under these circumstances, Assange and Wikileaks staff would not know who sent them the DNC emails.
The statement added that the decision will not affect the recommendations issued by the UN’s working group on arbitrary detentions, which deemed Julian Assange to be in a situation of arbitrary detention.
He has been holed up inside the embassy for more than four years to avoid being extradited to face justice.
He has fought against being extradited to Sweden, saying he fears he would then be transferred to the U.S. to face charges on Wikileaks’ activities.
Advertisement
In its statement, Ecuador said it stands by its 2012 commitment to grant Assange asylum due to “fears of political persecution”.
