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Assange Fears for his Life if Extradited to USA

Assange Fears for his Life if Extradited to USALondon, Dec 25. -WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, now free on bail in the UK, believes his extradition to USA is politically impossible because he is at risk of being killed there.

Assange told The Guardian newspaper it would be unlikely for British authorities to hand him over to the United States if he has public support in the UK.

The 39-year-old Australian communicator said it was a matter of politics, and that it could be assumed that attempts would be made to influence political opinion in the UK and the perception people have of him.

He did not rule out a possiblee U.S. request for his extradition, to be prosecuted for alleged espionage in connection with the release by Wikileaks of thousands of classified U.S. documents.

Assange said there was a high probability of him being killed if placed in a US prison. He was released on bail in the UK a week ago, and has been under strict security conditions pending his extradition to Sweden.

Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange on charges of alleged sexual assault against two women.

His lawyers say the charges are a masquerade. The main purpose is to send him to the United States under what they see as political persecution for the publication of confidential files compromising the White House and the Pentagon.

WikiLeaks recently posted some 250,000 classified U.S. State Department cables, increasing U.S. outrage and persecution. (Prensa Latina)