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Julian Assange has instructed British authorities to stop releasing any information about him to the Australian High Commission in London. Consular officials have written to the Wikileaks founder four times since the order was made on June 14, but have not received a response. "The High Commission continues to reach out to Mr Assange to offer consular assistance," Department of Foreign Affairs assistant secretary Andrew Todd told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday. "There has been no reply to any of those approaches." Australian diplomats have not heard back from Assange's lawyer since writing to her last week requesting that she raise with him their offer of consular assistance. Assange, 48, is locked up in the UK fighting against extradition to the US. He appeared distracted and disoriented when he appeared before a London court earlier this week. He has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since his April 11 arrest at the Ecuadorian embassy, where he had lived in asylum for almost seven years. Following his directive, Australian officials are no longer able to monitor his physical and mental health. "With the withdrawal of consent, and the lack of our ability to meet with him, we're unable to provide detailed requests or receive a response from British authorities," Mr Todd said. Assange has been charged in the US with 17 counts of spying and one count of computer hacking in relation to WikiLeaks' release of thousands of classified Pentagon files regarding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Foreign Minister Marise Payne acknowledged Assange had high profile and loyal supporters. "He has been offered consular services ... like any other Australian would," she told the committee. Senator Payne said it was important to let the legal process run its course. "I think it's important to remember that as Australia would not accept intervention or interference in our legal processes, we are not able to intervene in the legal processes of another country," she said. Australian Associated Press

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