Assange 'was to be quizzed this week'
Julian Drape, AAP London Correspondent
June 18, 2015, 2:53 am
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says Swedish prosecutors have "recklessly" cancelled a visit to London to quiz him over sexual assault allegations at the last minute.
"This afternoon the Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny cancelled a prospective appointment to take my statement today," Assange said in a statement on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEST).
"We proposed the dates and Ny accepted them. Prosecutor Ny led my lawyers to believe that the appointment was proceeding."
The WikiLeaks founder said his lawyers had booked tickets to travel and he had been "put to considerable expense".
Ms Ny announced on Monday she'd submitted a request to British and Ecuadorian authorities to question Assange inside Ecuador's London embassy in June and July over allegations of sexual assault.
In a statement her office said "when all necessary permits and arrangements are ready the investigative matters will be performed by the supporting prosecutor to the case" Ingrid Isgren.
Ms My said no information regarding the timing for the interviews would be made public.
But Assange claims he was still expecting to give a statement on Wednesday.
"(Then) today I learned the Swedish legal application to Ecuador, which is likely to take weeks, was only sent to Ecuador two days ago," Assange said.
"To behave in such a way seems reckless and it is hard to imagine that it was more than a public relations exercise.
"It is impossible to maintain confidence in this prosecutor under such circumstances."
Assange hasn't been charged but faces allegations of rape, sexual molestation and illegal coercion.
After losing a UK legal battle against extradition the 43-year-old entered Ecuador's diplomatic mission in June 2012 and was granted political asylum two months later.
The Australian fears if he goes to Sweden he'll be extradited to the United States and charged over WikiLeaks' release of classified documents.
He has long offered to be interviewed by prosecutors at the Ecuadorian embassy or by video link.
But it wasn't until mid-March that Ms Ny performed an about-face and finally agreed to interview him in London regarding the allegations he sexually assaulted two women in 2010.
