WikiLeaks has published a letter, apparently from the US senate committee investigating Russian election interference, asking Julian Assange to give evidence.

The letter, which could be a fabrication, is marked 1 August and was addressed to the Ecuadorian embassy, where Assange has been a resident since 2012.

WikiLeaks claimed on Twitter that the letter was delivered via the US embassy in London, although both the embassy and the senate select committee on intelligence declined to comment when contacted by Sky News.

The letter to Julian Assange states: "As you are aware, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is conducting a bipartisan inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

"As part of that inquiry, the committee staff requests that you make yourself available for a closed interview with bipartisan committee staff at a mutually agreeable time and location."


Assange was granted political asylum by Ecuador for the purpose of avoiding extradition to the US, where he is believed to be wanted for leaking government secrets.

However the letter does not seem to offer him the opportunity to communicate via video link.

Image: The letter published by WikiLeaks

The letter also states that the interview would take place in a closed session and would not be available to the public, something which the leaking organisation is unlikely to agree to.

The organisation's Twitter account stated: "WikiLeaks' legal team say they are 'considering the offer but testimony must conform to a high ethical standard'."

Assange is currently without internet access after clashing with the Ecuadorian government for his activities on social media during the US and Spanish elections.

The recent replacement of Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa with Lenin Moreno, who has expressed concerns about the WikiLeaks founder, has suggested Assange's future in the embassy could be imperilled.

However, it is understood the Ecuadorian government would need to complete a lengthy legal process before stripping Assange of his legal status.

Donald Trump, October 10, 2016: "This just came out. WikiLeaks! I love WikiLeaks!" pic.twitter.com/KWP7X2aLiN — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 21, 2017

:: Why do they want to speak to Assange?

The alleged interest comes amid an ongoing investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia to help him secure a victory.

Despite comments appearing to support WikiLeaks made on the campaign trail, Donald Trump declined to continue to support Assange upon becoming president.

The letter follows an indictment in the US accusing 12 Russian military intelligence officers of hacking into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Clinton campaign and stealing emails which were published by WikiLeaks.

Although the indictment does not specifically name WikiLeaks, the activities that are described in the legal filing match those of the organisation.

WikiLeaks denied that the emails were provided to it by a hostile intelligence agency and instead encouraged a conspiracy theory in which they were provided by Seth Rich, a DNC employee and the victim of an unsolved murder.