Ecuador blames Sweden, Britain for `inaction` on Assange case

Quito: Ecuador said Thursday that Sweden and Britain`s "inaction" was to blame for the expiration of the Swedish sexual assault probe of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London.

Ecuador`s foreign ministry said in a statement that "the continued inaction by British and Swedish authorities for the nearly 1,000 days of (Assange`s) stay in the embassy" was the reason he had not been questioned by Swedish prosecutors, who dropped the probe after the allegations passed the five-year statute of limitations.

Assange still faces a separate Swedish investigation over a rape claim.