One of Europe’s leading officials has waded into the row over the Julian Assange case by telling the WikiLeaks founder that he should “just go” to Sweden to face the sex crime allegations against him.
Cecilia Malmström, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said Mr Assange, 41, who is sheltering in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, should “answer the questions” about his alleged attacks on two women.
She also dismissed his claim that he would be extradited to the US, saying that she did not “believe for a minute” that it would happen and that it was only a “purely theoretical” risk.
“I’m not engaged in this, I know there are talks. But he’s accused of rape, of sexual harassment and if he’s innocent, which he might be — I don’t know — why doesn’t he just go and answer the questions? I don’t believe for a minute that’s why he would go to the US,” Ms Malmström said.
Her comments, made after a briefing with journalists in Brussels, will be welcomed by ministers as they try to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden on a European arrest warrant.
The WikiLeaks boss fled to the Ecuadorean embassy, where he is now reported to be suffering from a chronic lung condition, in June to claim asylum after judges ruled that he should be sent to Sweden to face prosecutors.
He claims the Swedish extradition bid is a ploy to secure his transfer to the US and denies the allegations against him, which include having sex with a sleeping woman and having unprotected intercourse without consent.
But Ms Malmström, who comes from Sweden, dismissed his claims about the threat from American prosecutors. “He is asked to come to Sweden because he’s accused of some crimes. He stays in the embassy. For the moment there is no solution. Whether Sweden would extradite him to the US or not, that is up to the Swedish authorities to decide. I don’t think that would happen. That’s purely theoretical.”
Ecuador’s ambassador to London, Ana Alban, has called for Mr Assange to be granted safe passage so that he can receive hospital treatment.
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Ministers have said that they will not prevent Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, from receiving medical treatment, but have warned that he will be arrested if he leaves the embassy.
