Police in Australia have concluded that WikiLeaks and its Australian-born founder Julian Assange have not broken any laws in his home country, the prime minister announced on Friday.
The government ordered the Australian Federal Police to determine whether the website broke any Australian laws by publishing sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables that have embarrassed and outraged Washington.
“We have received the advice and the advice is that there has been no breaches of Australian law,” Ms. Gillard told reporters on Friday.
U.S. authorities are investigating WikiLeaks over the publication of the documents, which Washington says are damaging to its national interests.
Ms. Gillard said the leaking of the documents was “clearly an illegal act,” adding that the leak was being investigated by U.S. authorities.
Australian officials have said they are assisting U.S. authorities in that investigation.
Ms. Gillard also said that Mr. Assange, who is in Britain fighting against extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations, would be given consular assistance like any other Australian citizen.
She repeated her condemnation of the publication of the U.S. diplomatic documents as highly irresponsible.
