2014-03-29 Eva Joly interviewed by Swedish television

Famed French-Norwegian prosecutor Eva Joly has come to Stockholm to try to resolve the standoff between Julian Assange and the Swedish prosecution service. She was interviewed by Malou von Sivers yesterday, after the day before holding a press conference about her visit.

The advance notice was that Joly, the famed anti-corruption prosecutor who led the eight-year investigation into Elf Aquitane, had come upon a way to get past the three-year stalemate. But things go further than that.

Joly first tried to meet with minister for justice Beatrice Ask; she was turned down. She next contacted prosecutor-general Anders Perklev; he referred her to Marianne Ny. Joly's attempt to meet with Marianne Ny also failed: the prosecutor, who reopened the Assange case at the behest of politician Claes Borgström and on the basis of evidence later shown to be falsified, refused to meet with her.

But as Joly told Malou, she's only begun her inquiries. She will now try to meet with the head of the parliamentary committee, and the head of the Swedish bar association who has previously voiced objections to the way the case is being handled.

The following is a clip of the Friday interview with Malou - it's in Swedish, and hopefully someone will soon upload a copy with Swedish subtitles.

Malou refers several times to her interview with Assange from 7 December 2011.

Eva Joly has a few choice words for prosecutor Marianne Ny. When discussing the tangible threat of Assange being surrendered from Sweden to the US, she notes that Ny has previously stated that there is no risk of surrender. But Joly states that Ny is simply not 'competent' to make such a statement. And adds that it must be obvious that Sweden and the US are involved in discussions about how to dispense with Assange.

Living in an embassy as Julian Assange is much worse than being in prison, says Joly, who also worries for the health of the WikiLeaks leader. Prison at least affords plenty of fresh air and exercise and a social context, whilst a small room at an embassy offers none of that.

Do we remember how Edward Snowden was stranded in Moscow when the US revoked his passport? Do we remember what happened to Evo Morales on his return flight - how he was forced to land in Austria because European countries had closed their airspace at the behest of the US? Do we really think Sweden will refuse to turn over Assange when asked?

'Julian Assange is a publisher', says Eva Joly. 'Julian Assange publishes things that others send to him. He is not a terrorist.'