US says Assange making ‘wild assertions’ to deflect attention from rape claims

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Washington, Aug. 21: America has accused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of making “wild assertions” about U.S. persecution to deflect attention from allegations of sexual assaults he faces in Sweden.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland stressed that the U.S. is not involved at all in attempting to remove Assange from Ecuador’s London Embassy.

“He is making all kinds of wild assertions about us, when, in fact, his issue with the government of the United Kingdom has to do with whether he’s going to go stand, face justice in Sweden for something that has nothing to do with WikiLeaks,” Politico quoted Nuland, as saying.

“It has to do with charges of sexual misconduct. So, he is clearly trying to deflect attention away from the real issue, which is whether he’s going to face justice in Sweden, which is the immediate issue. So, that case has nothing to do with us. It’s a matter between the UK, Sweden, and now Ecuador has inserted itself,” she added.

Assange has been holed up in Ecuador’s embassy since June 19 in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on sexual assault charges.

Assange and his supporters have accused the United States of being behind a plot against him and the website.

He recently urged President Barack Obama to end the ‘witch hunt’ against the website and its supporters.

“I ask President Obama to do the right thing. The United States must renounce its witch hunt against WikiLeaks,” Assange had said. (ANI)