supporters to rally for julian assange in bris

Supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to rally in Brisbane

* From: AAP
* December 08, 2010 10:56AM



SUPPORTERS of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will rally in Brisbane today, calling on the Australian Government not to hang him out to dry.

Organisers expect upwards of 200 protesters were expected to attend the noon (AEST) rally, timed to coincide with International Human Rights Day.

"The Australian Government has failed to uphold the human rights of Mr Assange," rally organisers, including the Socialist Alliance, said in a statement.

"We want the Gillard Government to make sure Julian Assange has the same basic rights as every other Australian citizen.

"Threats have been made against Assange's life, the Australian Government has a duty to protect him, not threaten him."

The statement said the Federal Government should be ashamed of its attacks on Mr Assange's controversial website WikiLeaks, saying citizens have a right to the secret information it is disseminating.

Mr Assange has been denied bail in a London court following his arrest in Britain on a Swedish warrant for suspected sex crimes.

His arrest follows the release, on WikiLeaks, of secret US documents which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said could threaten US security.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd today sought to draw a line between the sex crimes Mr Assange is facing and the WikiLeaks website.

He said the Government was offering its "normal" level of support to Mr Assange, as an Australian in a foreign nation in need of legal help.

He said the Swedish charges went "to a different range of matters" from anything WikiLeaks had done.

Mr Rudd dodged questions about comments by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who has argued the "foundation stone" of the website is "illegal".