Julian Assange to launch fresh appeal against Swedish prosecutors after email leak

A fresh appeal against Julian Assange’s Swedish arrest warrant is being considered by Assange’s lawyers after they obtained email communications of the legal authorities involved. The email trail supposedly revealed that the opposing party is more focused on winning the case than knowing the truth.

The plan to launch an appeal is backed by documents published by an Italian news agency, L'Espresso. L’Espresso filed two comprehensive Freedom of Information Act in Sweden and Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service and has successfully obtained and published a copy of the emails.

Communications between Paul Close of CPS and Marianne Ny, the prosecutor in Sweden, reportedly show that they are “more interested in winning the case [against him] than finding the truth.” To add to that, the communication trail revealed that the CPS advised Swedish prosecutors to go against the questioning of Assange in London, something that would have led to a quick closure of the preliminary investigation, the Guardian reports.

Assange has, in many cases, requested to be questioned in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he is staying, rather than be extradited by the Swedish authorities to Stockholm.

CPS lawyer Close wrote to Sweden’s Ny and said, "In my view it would not be prudent” for Swedish prosecutors to question Assange in London. “It would inevitably allege it was conclusive proof that the Swedish authorities had no case whatsoever against him, and hence the interview was in the hope he would make a full and frank confession … Thus I suggest you interview him only on his surrender to Sweden and in accordance with Swedish law,” Close added.

In another email dated Jan. 13, Close told Ny and another colleague, Ola Lofgren, to “please do not think that the case is being dealt with [as] just another extradition request,” to which a spokesman for CPS responded by saying that some cases stand out because of its nature as well as the complexity and the identity of the people involved. This reportedly means that greater resources in terms of time and expertise are required.

CPS said that the communication between Close and Ny was entirely proper as CPS should be advised on all relevant aspects of their extradition request, which can include judicial cooperation.

Ny attempted to question Assange in June but was turned down by the Ecuadorian embassy, which cited lack of bilateral agreement between the two countries. However, after a period of stalemate, Swedish and Ecuadorian judicial authorities are now discussing arrangements for Swedish prosecutors.

Julian Assange is an Australian programmer and was the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks. In 2010, he was charged with accounts of sexual molestation in Sweden, which he strongly denied, citing they were done with “consent.” He is also wanted by American authorities for leaking confidential information from the CIA, along with another WikiLeaks founder, Edward Snowden. Should Assange be extradited to Sweden, there is a huge possibility that he will also be sent to the U.S. for questioning over the WikiLeaks case.

Assange has been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

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