Swedish prosecutor wants to interview Julian Assange despite U.N. report

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- A Swedish prosecutor said Tuesday she intends to question Julian Assange, despite a U.N. report saying he was detained arbitrarily.

Assange, 44, an Australian computer hacker and founder of WikiLeaks, has been accused of committing acts of sexual molestation against two women in Sweden in 2010. Although lesser charges were dropped he is still wanted for questioning in Sweden on a rape charge.

Subject to deportation from England to Sweden, he was granted political asylum in Ecuador's London embassy in 2012 and has lived there since. The report by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled last week Assange was "arbitrarily detained by the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom" and should have his freedom of movement restored and compensation granted.

The findings were rejected by the Swedish and British governments. Britain maintains it must arrest Assange as long as a European warrant for his arrest is in force.

A statement by Marianne Ny, director of Sweden's Public Prosecution office, said, "Concerning the report that was issued last week, I would like to state that it does not change my earlier assessments in the investigation."

She said she was still seeking to interview Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy. Sweden and Ecuador reached an agreement in December to arrange for Assange's interrogation, but Ecuador rejected it on a technicality in January.

Assange's possible return to Sweden to face charges could lead to his extradition to the United States to face charges related to the revelation of government secrets in the WikiLeaks case.