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Summary
Australian diplomats will support detained WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd vowed Wednesday, even after Assange accused Canberra of disgraceful pandering to his foes. Australia's consul-general to Britain has already spoken to Assange, arrested in London Tuesday on a warrant seeking his extradition to Sweden on sex assault charges, while diplomats attended his court hearing, officials said. We have confirmed that we'll provide (consular support), as we'd do for all Australian citizens, Rudd said a day after his boss Prime Minister Julia Gillard branded WikiLeaks' publication of leaked diplomatic cables grossly irresponsible. We'll be providing him with a letter soon which indicates we'll be prepared to provide consular visits and any other level of consular support concerning his wellbeing and his legal rights, Rudd said on commercial television. His comments came hours after Assange turned himself in on charges his lawyers have branded politically motivated as his organisation's snowballing revelations sowed panic and fury in governments across the world.
