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Sweden Makes Another Request To Ecuador For Permission To Question Assange (thelocal.se)
cold fjord writes: Thelocal.se reports that Sweden's state prosecutor's office said today that it has formally asked Ecuador in writing for permission to interrogate Julian Assange. They don't know when Ecuador will reply. The request follows the signing of an agreement in December on general legal cooperation between the two countries. Ecuador required the agreement before it would consent to an interview of Assange. The Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange regarding rape allegations that have a statute of limitations that run till 2020. The statue of limitations for other sex crimes Assange has been accused of have expired while Assange has been in hiding. Sweden had previously asked to question Assange in the embassy, but Ecuador declined permission. In another peculiar twist to the case, RTE.ie is reporting that Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino has stated that the exact procedures that will be used are not known, but that Ecuadorian prosecutors will be the ones actually questioning Assange although Swedish officials can be present. Sweden's view on this is unclear.
The charges are less "rape" and more "being a shitty boyfriend". IIRC the charges are actually "molestation" and the specifics are related to condom use and him lying to get women to sleep with him, rather than him actually forcing anything against consent.
That he may have been enough of an asshat that it was actually illegal is amusing, and he probably does deserve to face the charges in court and possibly be sentenced according to the law. But ultimately it's more than a little odd to see a nation attempt to extradite someone for this. Additionally given the timing and the political situation regarding his websight it's likely that there are motivations beyond "asshole boyfriends shall not be tolerated" that are exactly the sort of thing one seeks political asylum from.