Rape charge not linked to Wikileaks: Rudd

The Foreign Minister has sought to define a line between the rape charge Julian Assange is facing and his controversial WikiLeaks website

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has sought to define a line between the rape charge Julian Assange is facing and his controversial WikiLeaks website.

Overnight Australian time, Assange was taken into custody by English police in relation to a Swedish allegation of rape.

Rudd said the government would offer its "normal" level of support to Assange, who is an Australian in a foreign nation in need of legal help.

"I spoke last night with Australia's high commissioner in London and again this morning, Australian time, to confirm we are providing Mr Assange with all appropriate consular assistance," Rudd told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

"I'm the foreign minister of Australia, responsible for the consular well-being of all Australians and therefore I just want to make it absolutely clear that first of all Mr Assange has contacted the Australian consul-general in London and asked for consular support," Rudd told the Seven network.

While he dodged repeated questions on comments made by Prime Minister Julia Gillard about WikiLeaks' legal status, Rudd did say the Swedish charges went "to a different range of matters" from anything WikiLeaks had done.

Assange, 39, has vehemently denied the Swedish charges.

"The question of how the British courts conduct their business is a matter for the people ... in the United Kingdom," Rudd said.

"The range of specific charges against Mr Assange emanating from the Swedish courts I am not in a position to comment on that, nor would I comment.

The WikiLeaks website continues to publish some of the promised 251,287 classified United States diplomatic cables that it has in its possession.

On Wednesday morning (AEDT) it had published slightly more than 1000 cables.

More about: ABC, ABC, etwork

Comments

1

Raymond

Wed 08/12/2010 - 12:49

Seeing as Mr Rudd has featured so prominently in Wikileaks, how on earth could anybody evn bother believing or bothering to report what his thoughts and comments are, we will more than likely discover that privately what his other thoughts are on the matter when they are Wikileaked!

I mean with Rudd....why would you bother! well done Jooolya! you are stuck with him...you need the numbers!

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