In an abrupt reversal, the Swedish prosecutor leading the investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has finally agreed to question him inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange, who has been holed up in the building for nearly three years, has been accused of but not formally charged with committing sex crimes in Sweden.

In an English-language statement Friday, the Swedish Prosecution Authority wrote that Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny "has made a request to Julian Assange’s legal representatives whether Assange would consent to being interviewed in London and have his DNA taken via a swab."

Why the sudden change of heart?

"The reason the prosecutor now decides to request permission to interview Julian Assange in London is chiefly that a number of the crimes Julian Assange is suspected of will be subject to statute of limitation in August 2015 i.e. in less than six months’ time," the statement says.

Previously, the Swedish Prosecution Authority was on record as saying that "the prosecutor’s assessment is that a request for legal assistance involving the questioning of Julian Assange in London would not take the case forward in a significant manner."

An expensive houseguest

In November 2014, Assange lost his bid to have his Swedish arrest warrant set aside; he appealed that decision to the Swedish Supreme Court.

The Australian remains wanted in Sweden for questioning relating to alleged sex offenses dating back to 2010. In Assange’s September 2013 affidavit, he stated that the women he slept with specifically said they were not accusing him of rape and that police "made up the charges."

The embassy is constantly surrounded by London police—the city government is spending around $16,000 each day—to keep an eye on Assange. He refuses to go to Sweden over fears that he will be extradited to the United States to face potential charges relating to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified material.