LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange emerged for a rare public address Thursday, praising jailed U.S. soldier Bradley Manning in an address delivered from the balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
Addressing supporters on a cold and wet English evening, the 41-year-old Australian looked fit and healthy despite half a year spent in trapped inside the small apartment he shares with Ecuador’s diplomatic staff.
He gave no hint that he would end the standoff, which has seen him spend six months as a fugitive from European justice, saying he was holed up at the embassy for fear of the U.S. investigation into his activities.
“While this immoral investigation continues, and while the Australian government will not defend the journalism and publishing of WikiLeaks, I must remain here,” he said.
While the U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into WikiLeaks’ spectacular disclosures of U.S. secrets, Assange is currently wanted by police over allegations of sexual assault stemming from a trip to Sweden in mid-2010.
Nepal - the country of the Buddha and the Mt. Everest 