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Maldives ex-leader Mohammed Nasheed jailed for 13 years

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Maldives police on Monday night denied allegations of brutality against former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, seen here being dragged into court on Monday. (Photo: Haveeru/Mohamed Sharuaan)

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, seen here being dragged into court by Maldives police. (Photo: Haveeru/Mohamed Sharuaan)

by BBC

A former president of the Maldives has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was found guilty of ordering the arrest of a judge while in office.

Mohamed Nasheed was cleared of the charges last month, but was re-arrested and charged under anti-terrorism laws.

His lawyers quit during the second trial, which they said was biased and intended to end his political career.

Hundreds of supporters have been protesting on a regular basis since Mr Nasheed’s arrest last month.

Both the US and India have voiced concerns over the charges.

A former human rights campaigner, Mr Nasheed became the nation’s first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The judge at the court in the capital, Male, said the prosecution had proved “beyond reasonable doubt” that Mr Nasheed ordered the “arrest or forceful abduction and detention” of Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012.

Mr Mohamed was detained after ordering the release of an opposition politician, provoking weeks of protests.

Mr Nasheed eventually stepped down on 7 February, later saying he had been forced to resign at gunpoint. His allies say he was ousted in a coup.

‘Dictatorial power’

After the sentencing, Mr Nasheed urged his supporters to come out on to the streets to “confront the dictatorial power of this regime,” according to a statement released by his office.

Analysts say his arrest adds to growing instability in the small coral atoll nation.

The current president, Abdullah Yameen, has recently become alienated from key former colleagues. He arrested his defence minister, accusing him of plotting a coup, and also sacked the chief justice and another judge.

He was elected in November 2013 in a poll that saw its second-round runoff cancelled when early results put Mr Nasheed ahead.

The jail term will effectively prevent Mr Nasheed running for president at the 2018 elections but President Yameen, who is a half brother of Mr Gayoom, has denied the trial was politically motivated.

India tops in asking for content restrictions: Facebook

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facebook

New Delhi: Facebook blocked 5,832 pieces of content, including anti-religious matter and hate speeches, during July-December 2014 on orders of Indian government, the highest by any country on the social networking giant’s platform.

In its Global Government Requests Report for July to December 2014, the California-based firm said it has “restricted” 5,832 pieces of content.

“We restricted access in India to content reported primarily by law enforcement agencies and the India Computer Emergency Response Team within the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, including anti-religious content and hate speech that could cause unrest and disharmony,” the social networking platform said.

Facebook’s report includes information on government requests it received for content removal and account data and national security requests under the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and through National Security Letters.

India is followed by Turkey at 3,624 number of pieces of restricted content, then Germany at 60, Russia (55) and Pakistan (54), the report stated.

Besides, India made 5,473 requests for data, mostly concerning criminal cases, to Facebook in July-December 2014.

According to Facebook, government officials sometimes make requests for data about people who use Facebook as part of official investigations. The vast majority of these requests relate to criminal cases like robberies or kidnappings. In many of these cases, government requests seek basic subscriber information such as name and length of service. Other requests have asked for IP address logs or actual account content, it added.

“Each and every request we receive is checked for legal sufficiency. We require officials to provide a detailed description of the legal and factual basis for their request, and we push back when we find legal deficiencies or overly broad or vague demands for information.

“Even where we determine that local law would compel disclosure, we frequently share only basic subscriber information,” Facebook said.

The requests covered 7,281 user accounts and Facebook provided “some data” on 44.69 per cent of the requests.

(PTI)

Furore over Sharad Yadav's remarks on women's complexion

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Conversion Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed a furore over Sharad Yadav’s remarks on women’s complexion, as sharp words were exchanged between the JD-U leader and Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.

The comments created a ruckus in the upper house after union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked the member to withdraw his comments.

The Janata Dal-United chief said his comments last week on women’s complexion were misinterpreted and refused to apologise. He said he was ready for a debate on the topic.

Yadav, during the debate on the insurance bill in the Rajya Sabha last week, spoke on India’s obsession for fair skin. “Your god is dark like Ravi Shankar Prasad, but your matrimonial ads insist on white-skinned brides.”

Referring to the complexion of south Indian women, he said: “The women of the south are dark but they are as beautiful as their bodies… We don’t see it here. They know (how to) dance.”

He got away lightly when he made the comments last week, as several members laughed over them. Only DMK leader Kanimozhi had protested.

On Monday, Prasad said: “Comments were made on south Indian women, I was also mentioned, I remained quiet. I want to keep myself away from that comment.”

“I completely disagree with the comment. Ask the member to withdraw the comment,” he urged the chair.

Trying to clarify, Yadav said his comments were misinterpreted.

“There are more dusky women in India and in the world… I can discuss the issue with anyone, we are in favour of Indian culture.”

Irani, responding sharply, said the member (Yadav) should not comment on the complexion of women in any way.

“I appeal through you (chair) to the gentleman, do not make comments about the colour of any woman’s skin. You (Yadav) are a senior member, a very wrong message is going to the rest of the country,” she said.

Yadav responded by saying: “I strongly refute the allegation.”

“From (Mahatma) Gandhi to (Ram Manohar) Lohia, I have all the record of what has been said about women. A lot of struggle has been done for women with dark complexion,” he said, to which Irani responded by saying: “Please don’t do this.

Naming Lohia and Gandhi and commenting on women.”

Kanimozhi joined Irani in her protest against Yadav. “Women from all parties are together, we demand a regret on it,” she said.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said he would not allow a discussion on the issue.

“White complexion or dark complexion, it is all the same, I am not allowing a discussion on this,” Kurien said.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the issue should not be discussed as it will get more complicated.

Yadav, however, said he was ready for a discussion.

“There has been a long struggle against discrimination based on colour… I am ready to participate in a debate any time,” he said.

Women leaders on Monday slammed the JD-U leader outside the house also.

Kanimozhi said: “The issue is why women’s body and colour was being discussed in a such a derogatory way in parliament.”

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat said: “The time has now come for a code of conduct for our members of parliament and that should be very strict as far as use of languages is concerned. These are senior leaders and what they say influences people.

“It is shocking that none of the other MPs said a word,” she said.

Yadav, however, decided to brazen it out by humming a popular song — “Mora Gora Rang Laile” — from 1960s Bimal Roy-directed film “Bandini” to justify his point.

(IANS)

No snooping on Rahul, it is 'transparent profiling': Jaitley

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Rahul-Gandhi

New Delhi: Government today countered the Congress charges of snooping on Rahul Gandhi saying it was making a “mountain out of what is not even a molehill” as information collection was part of a transparent security profiling used on 526 VIPs, including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Ministers.

Responding to charges of snooping and spying on political opponents by Opposition Congress and SP in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said the police has been collecting such information since 1987 on VIPs operating out of Lutyens Delhi through a profoma form as part of security profiling.

The proforma, which was revised in 1999, has been used to profile former prime ministers H D Dewa Gowda, I K Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The same was also used to profile Congress President Sonia Gandhi in October 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Finance Minister said.

Pranab Mukherjee, before becoming the President, was profiled in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012, while senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj, Ahmed Patel of Congress, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and Sharad Yadav of JD-U were also profiled, he said.

“526 persons have been profiled using the present form,” he said, adding this was part of “transparent, security profiling and not associated with any kind of snooping or sypying.”

“It is not that it has been started in the last 8 months,” he said and proposed to sit with Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to go through the 526 forms filled during the previous UPA rule.

On the proforma seeking information on shoe size, colour of eyes and other such information, Jaitley said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was identified by his shoes after his assassination.

Security needs and profiling should be left to security experts and “we should not attempt to become one”, he said, adding “the issue raised is making mountain of what is not even a molehill.”

Jaitley said the practice of security profiling started in 1987 under Congress rule.

Maintaining that he had given a notice under Rule 267 to suspend business so as to take up the issue, Azad said in his 35 year career, including as a top security protectee, he had not seen such a proforma for security profiling.

Rahul Gandhi, he said, has been a SPG protectee right since his father Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and it was beyond comprehension why Delhi Police was only now collecting such information like his shoe size, colour of hair, habits, his associates, friends and aides.

After an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Special Branch of Delhi Police visited Rahul Gandhi’s 12 Tughlaq Lane Residence on March 2, two senior officers had again visited his place on March 14 to gather information on his aides, Azad said.

Charging the government with snooping and spying on political opponents, he said the government was “resorting to threats, coersion and pressure to quell political dissent”.

“If you raise voice, the Central Government can use any measure,” he said demanding that Home Minister Rajnath Singh should come to the House and explain.

Last year there were reports of NDA government minister’s telephone being tapped, he said, adding since BJP assumed power in May 2014, religious and political freedom have been curbed. “The Delhi Police action is against privacy and against democracy,” Azad said.

K C Tyagi (JD-U) said the security profiling has “never been heard of” and demanded a discussion on invasion of privacy as well as corporate and political espionage.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) alleged that one lakh telephones were being tapped everyday without requisite permission and warned that the privacy of individuals should not be challenged.

(PTI)

Cricket World Cup 2015: West Indies win to reach quarter-finals

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chris_gayle

by Sam Sheringham, BBC Sport

West Indies secured a place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a comfortable, if unconvincing, victory over the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE crumbled to 26-5 in Napier as Windies captain Jason Holder took 4-27.

But Nasir Aziz and Amjad Javed exploited some ragged bowling to add a record-tying 107 for the seventh wicket and lift the associates to 175 all out.

Johnson Charles and Jonathan Carter struck fifties as the Windies eased home by six wickets in 30.3 overs.

In reaching their target inside 36.2 overs, West Indies went through on net run rate, although their passage was not confirmed until Pakistan beat Ireland by seven wickets in Sunday’s final Pool B contest in Adelaide.

West Indies’ performance did little to suggest they will be a match for Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten New Zealand side in Wellington on 21 March.

The inconsistency that has blighted their campaign was again in evidence as a wayward spell from Kemar Roach helped the UAE get back into the game after Holder and Jerome Taylor had blown away their top order with some high-class pace bowling.

There was also a show of dissent from former captain Darren Sammy when he reacted badly to being pulled from the attack after one over and earned himself a talking-to from Holder.

By that point, the UAE were in the midst of an impressive recovery in which Aziz and Javed equalled their own team’s record for the highest World Cup seventh-wicket stand, set against Ireland in Brisbane in February.

Aziz top-scored in his first one-day innings, while Javed reached 50 for the first time with seven fours and a huge six, when he planted Taylor into the stands over long-on.

Their partnership was finally ended in the 41st over and the Windies wrapped up the tail efficiently as Taylor dismissed captain Mohammad Tauqir for his third wicket of the day.

With Chris Gayle sidelined by a back injury, Charles was handed an opportunity at the top of the West Indies order, and he kick-started the run chase with a four and a six in the first over on his way to a 34-ball half-century.

Although Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels once again posted low scores, and the experiment of moving Andrew Russell up the order did not pay off, Carter found some fluency to guide them home with his maiden ODI fifty.

West Indies captain Jason Holder: “The ball came out really well for me at the start. The pitch was a bit slow but it swung and bounced a bit for me.

“I’m extremely pleased with the way the guys came out and played. We needed to win by a certain margin. We had to show positive intent. We knew we had to finish the game inside 36 overs and we did it.

“New Zealand would be a big test. They are playing some very good cricket.”

UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir: “When West Indies put us in to bat first, they took good advantage of the bowling conditions.

“At 46-6 it was difficult to recover but it was a good effort by Amjad Javed and Nasir Aziz. Amjad been very consistent throughout the tournament and has been a positive for us.

“It was a decent performance for us in this tournament, a good learning experience and it has been very enjoyable.”

Tension in Haryana village after church attack

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Chandigarh: Tension prevailed in a village in Haryana’s Hisar district on Monday after an under construction church was attacked and vandalised by miscreants and the idol of a Hindu god was placed inside the premises.

Police officials said on Monday that 14 people were booked for rioting, damaging place of worship, theft and promoting enmity following a complaint from the church priest in Kaimri village in Hisar district, 260km from here.

No arrests have been made so far. The attackers allegedly damaged the cross at the church and took away some other items.

The priest told media that certain activists of the Bajrang Dal and others had threatened him earlier. He alleged that the same people could be behind the attack on the church.

“I was threatened by Bajrang Dal activists and other locals last month,” the priest, Subhash Chand, said.

Haryana has a BJP government since October last year. Local residents in the village alleged that the priest was trying to construct the church despite the fact that there was no Christian in the entire village.

(Agencies)

 

'Fresh and fit' Kejriwal discharged from Bengaluru

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Arvind-Kejriwal-Bangalore

Bengaluru: A “fresh and fit” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was discharged on Monday from a hospital here after 10 days of naturopathy treatment to cure his chronic cough and high blood sugar and immediately left for the national capital.

“Kejriwal left for airport in a private vehicle to board an evening flight to Delhi. He has recovered from the twin symptoms he had when he came here on March 5 and is fine,” Jindal Naturecure Institute medical officer Jayachandran told media later.

 

Before leaving the hospital on the city’s outskirts, Kejriwal told the media that he was feeling “fresh and fit” and was excited to return home by late evening.

“My cough and blood sugar level are under control now. I am feeling fresh and fit after treatment at Jindal,” Kejriwal said after discharge.

Expressing gratitude to the hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, for taking care of him, Kejriwal said he was relieved to be free from nagging cough and high blood sugar as they affected his health and work.

“I am looking forward to be at home with family by night and resume work soon. I have been told to strictly keep away from aerated drinks and oily food. I have learnt a lot about the importance of diet, rest and regular exercises to stay fit and remain healthy,” Kejriwal pointed out.

He added in a tweet: “Am excited to return (to Delhi) to resume work.”

The 46-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was driven to airport by the party’s state unit convener Prithvi Reddy, followed by a dozen volunteers.

Kejriwal, however, declined to comment on the crisis in the party, saying he was pre-occupied with the naturopathy treatment and had no time to discuss the issues with his colleagues in Delhi or here.

Kejriwal is accompanied by his parents Gobind Ram and Gita Devi, who too got treated for age related symptoms.

Asked about the cost of the treatment, Kejriwal hastened to say that he paid the hospital bills from his own money and won’t seek reimbursement from the Delhi government.

According to hospital sources, Kejriwal was billed Rs.17,000 a day for accommodation in a three-bed room cottage ‘Nest’ located in the midst of the sprawling institute campus on the Bengaluru-Pune National Highway.

“Total cost of treatment, including therapies, massages, yogic exercises and ayurvedic liquids, fresh juices and dietary food, would have been Rs.10,000-12,000 a day,” a source said on the condition of anonymity.

Aware of Kejriwal’s hectic schedule and pre-occupation with political and other engagements, doctors have advised him to maintain a strict diet, take food at the prescribed hour and go to bed early and to get up early.

“As Kejriwal is unable to extend his stay here due to the upcoming budget session (of the Delhi assembly) and other pressing engagements, we have prescribed a regime comprising naturopathy treatment, diet and exercises,” Jindal medical director Babina Nandakumar told IANS.

Kejriwal was earlier treated at the institute when he came with noted social activist Anna Hazare in February 2012. He then had high blood sugar level but no cough.

“Kejriwal stayed with us for 16 days and followed our nature cure regime, diet and treatment instructions meticulously. On discharge, his sugar level was within normal limits without medication,” Nandakumar recalled.

During the last three years, due to pre-occupation with social and political activities and punishing schedules, Kejriwal could not maintain the lifestyle changes he had learnt at the institute.

Preliminary tests on March 5-6 showed that Kejriwal’s faulty and stressful lifestyle, including consumption of aerated drinks, irregular eating habits, high level of pollution in Delhi and accumulation of toxins in his body had resulted in chronic cough and high blood sugar.

“We gave detoxifying treatment in the form of yogic therapy and diet comprising vegetable and fresh juices, sprouts, ayurvedic liquids, soup, boiled vegetables and chapathis to rejuvenate his entire system,” the director added.

The institute has advised Kejriwal dietary changes and daily practice of prescribed yogasana, pranayama and kriya — a form of breathing technique to cleanse the inner body — when he returns to Delhi.

(Agencies)

Turkey says spy suspected of helping British school girls is Syrian

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British teenage girls Shamima Begun, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana (L-R) walk through security at Gatwick airport before they boarded a flight to Turkey on February 17, 2015, in this combination picture made from handout still images taken from CCTV and released by the Metropolitan Police on February 22, 2015.

British teenage girls Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana (L-R) walk through security at Gatwick airport before they boarded a flight to Turkey on February 17, 2015, in this combination picture made from handout still images taken from CCTV and released by the Metropolitan Police on February 22, 2015.

Ankara/Reuters: An alleged spy detained in Turkey for helping three British girls cross into Syria is a Syrian national working for a country in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, the Turkish foreign minister said on Friday.

Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Thursday that a spy who had assisted the three London school girls, now believed to be on territory controlled by Islamic State, had been caught, but did not give the suspect’s nationality.

Islamic State seized swathes of land last June, cementing their rule with a militant interpretation of Islamic law, and is drawing sympathisers from many countries to support their fight. The U.S.-led coalition is using mostly air power in an attempt to push the Sunni militant group back.

“The person who helped the three British girls into Syria is a Syrian national working for another country within the coalition. The situation is so complicated,” Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara.

He did not say which country the spy was working for, although on Thursday he had said it was not the European Union or the United States. The coalition also includes countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Australia and Canada.

The three girls, two aged 15 and one 16, flew to Istanbul from London on Feb. 17 and then onwards to Syria, where more than 200,000 have been killed in a civil war. Their families have appealed to them to return.

(Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Ece Toksabay; editing by Ralph Boulton)

Cricket World Cup 2015: England beat Afghanistan in final game

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england_world_cup

by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

England’s miserable World Cup ended with a low-key nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Sydney.

After rain reduced England’s target to 101 from 25 overs, Ian Bell made an unbeaten 52 to complete the chase with 41 balls to spare.

Afghanistan had earlier been limited to 111-7 from 36.2 overs when the weather intervened for the third time.

England finish fifth in Pool A having beaten only the Afghans and Scotland in their six matches.

Winning just twice is England’s joint-worst return from a World Cup, matching the 1996 tournament. On that occasion, they did at least make it to the quarter-finals.

In Australia and New Zealand, they have suffered heavy defeats by the co-hosts and Sri Lanka, while a loss to Bangladesh in Adelaide confirmed their exit.

That rendered their first one-day international meeting with Afghanistan as a dead rubber, played out in front of a sparse crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The rain, two short intervals and one that kept the players off the field for two and-a-half hours, sucked much of the meaning from an already nondescript contest.

And it was in a match with little riding on it that England found some of the skills they have lacked for most of the tournament – consistency of length with the ball, few mistakes in the field and top-order aggression with the bat.

With cloud cover and a green-tinged wicket providing assistance, England’s seamers worked through an Afghan top order that showed collective uncertainty outside off-stump.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad had catches held at first slip to dismiss Nawroz Mangal and Javed Ahmadi respectively, before Chris Jordan enticed Afsar Zazai to edge behind and Samiullah Shenwari to flash a cut shot to point.

From 34-4 Afghanistan were in danger of capitulation, but the middle-order steadied, without threatening to damage the England attack.

Shafiqullah’s patient 30 was compiled in the company of Nasir Jamal Ahmadzai and Mohammad Nabi, the former edging to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler after the second rain break, the latter well caught by James Tredwell at mid-on, both off Ravi Bopara.

Then, when Shafiqullah was brilliantly held at deep square leg by a diving Bopara from the spin of Tredwell, it was the last major action before the longest rain delay.

Puddles formed around the square and out the outfield, but the rain relented for play to get under way at 20:45 local time.

When the players returned, Hales and Bell took advantage of the inaccuracies of the feisty Afghanistan pace bowlers.

Hales, twice dropped by Najib Zadran at point off the bowling of Shapoor Zadran, pulled a six in the second over and continued to go after anything short.

Bell, more fluent than at any other time in the competition, unfurled pulls and drives as an opening stand of 77 ensured a swift conclusion and no hint of an upset.

Hales’ poke to wicketkeeper Zazai was reward for the lively Hamid Hassan, leaving James Taylor to complete the job with Bell.

Still, it was Afghanistan who had the louder fans at the conclusion. In their historic first World Cup campaign, they have finished one place and one win behind England.

Breakthrough? Swedish prosecutor drops refusal to interview Assange in UK

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‘This is something we’ve demanded for over four years,’ says lawyer; ‘Ridiculous’ that it took over four years, says Wikileaks spokesperson

Julian Assange has been in Ecuador’s embassy in London for nearly three years to avoid extradition from Sweden.

Julian Assange has been in Ecuador’s embassy in London for nearly three years to avoid extradition from Sweden.

by Jon Queally, Common Dreams

Both a lawyer and spokesperson for Wikileaks expressed relief on Friday that Swedish prosecutors are now willing travel to London to interview founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange, even as they characterized as ridiculous that fact that it took well over four years to accept such an arrangement.

Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than three years under asylum protection after allegations over sexual misconduct in Sweden sparked a legal battle over extradition. Assange has denied wrongdoing in the case but repeatedly said he would be willing to answer all questions regarding the accusations and details of the case. However, he refused to return to Sweden stating fears of being extradited to the United States over a sealed indictment in that country related to his work with Wikileaks exposing government and military secrets containde in leaked documents provided by U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

Swedish prosecutors of the case consistently refused Assange’s offer to meet at the embassy in London to conduct the interview, but have now reversed that decision citing the approaching statute of limitations on the alleged offenses in the case.

“My view has always been that to perform an interview with him at the Ecuadorean embassy in London would lower the quality of the interview, and that he would need to be present in Sweden in any case should there be a trial in the future,”  said lead prosecutor Marianne Ny in a statement. “Now that time is of the essence, I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies in the investigation and likewise take the risk that the interview does not move the case forward,” Ny said.

Ny said a request by her office was made to Assange’s legal team on Friday for an in-person interview inside the Ecuador Embassy in London. In addition, the prosecutions have requested to take a DNA swab of Assange.

Speaking with the Associated Press, WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said the Swedish decision was “a victory for Julian,” even as he criticized the delay.

“I think it’s absolutely outrageous that it took the Swedish prosecutor 41/2 years to come to this conclusion after maintaining that she couldn’t come to London because it would be illegal to do so,” he said. “Obviously that was a bogus argument.”

One of Assange’s lawyers, Per Samuelson, said he had spoken with his client and that they certainly were likely to accept the offer.

“This is something we’ve demanded for over four years,” Samuelson told AP. “Julian Assange wants to be interviewed so he can be exonerated.”

According to the Guardian:

Assange has been wanted in Sweden since the accusations were made against him in August 2010. The British Foreign Office said in November it would welcome a request by the Swedish prosecutor to question Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy. Ecuador’s government has also repeatedly stated that it approves of such a step.

Assange’s lawyers, who are appealing against his arrest warrant in Sweden’s highest court, have complained bitterly about the prosecutor’s refusal to travel to London to speak to him – an essential step under Swedish jurisprudence to establish whether Assange can be formally charged.

Ny’s refusal, they say, has condemned Assange to severe limitations on his freedom that are disproportionate to the accusations against him.

Ny has argued that interrogating Assange abroad would be complicated and have little point because he would still have to travel to Sweden for trial, should sufficient grounds emerge. However, she is obliged to drop the case against him unless she believes there are “reasonable grounds” for suspicion of his guilt.

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