Canberra: The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has accused Prime Minister Julia Gillard of ``character assassination`` and ‘prejudicing her son`s right to a fair trial’.
Responding to Gillard`s statement that her personal view of Assange did not affect the government assistance given to him, Christine Assange said: ``Are you serious? A Prime Minister publicly accuses one of her own citizens as having committed an `illegal act` and impugns his character ahead of the most publicised case in the world this decade - and you think it has no effect?``
In light of Gillard`s ``ongoing character assassination of Julian in the media``, the government`s offer of ``normal consular assistance`` was ``about as useful as a floatie in a tsunami. You have cast aside the presumption of innocence and prejudiced his right to a fair trial,” The Age quoted Christine, as saying.
She further slammed Gillard for her statement that everything written in the US diplomatic cables should not be assumed as facts.
``What are you trying to say, Julia - that WikiLeaks has made up the cable that exposed Mark Arbib as being in bed with the US for the past four years, or the one that reveals for 12 months you both plotted the political coup of an elected Prime Minister? Is that a myth too?`` Christine asked.
Although Gillard has said that she would not raise the matter of Assange during her visit to Washington, Christine insisted that the US-Australia alliance should be strong enough to allow an Australian Prime Minister to defend the rights of an Australian citizen.
``She should say that America stands for freedom and rule of law and that should be applied to Julian,`` she added.
ANI
