London, October 23 (RHC)-- Recently revealed documents have shown that Britain was hindering efforts by Swedish authorities to question Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy where he has secured political asylum for the last three years.

According to e-mails obtained by the Italian news magazine L’Espresso under the Freedom of Information Act, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service told the Swedish authorities in 2011 that it would “not be prudent” for them to interview Assange in the UK.

A separate e-mail, dated January 25, 2011, was also released saying: “Any attempt to interview him under strict Swedish law would invariably be fraught with problems.” Another e-mail dated January 13, 2011 said: “Please do not think that the case is being dealt with as just another extradition request.”

Assange has been in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 and has secured political asylum from the South American country after he lost a legal battle against extradition to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual assault, which he denies.

It is believed that Assange’s extradition is a cover for sending him to the United States, where he is wanted over the release of thousands of classified U.S. documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on his whistleblower website.