WikiLeaks' Julian Assange backs Brexit, attacks David Cameron

Julian Assange has backed Brexit as he attacked David Cameron's Government for repeatedly using the EU as 'political cover for its own decision-making'.

By The Newsroom Sunday, 12th June 2016, 2:17 pm Updated Monday, 13th June 2016, 1:16 pm

Film-maker Michael Moore meets WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Picture: PA

The WikiLeaks founder has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for almost four years as he seeks to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over a sex allegation, which he has always denied.

He believes that if he travels to Sweden he will be taken to the United States to be quizzed about the activities of WikiLeaks.

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He was asked in an interview with ITV’s Peston on Sunday programme if he believes the UK should vote to leave the EU on June 23.

“Pretty much,” he said.

“There is something I’ve experienced personally which is seeing this Government, the Cameron Government, repeatedly use the EU as political cover for its own decision-making.

“It launders things to the EU and then claims that it can’t do anything about it.

“For example, the EAW, the European Arrest Warrant.

“We think here in the United Kingdom that you have a right to a fair trial that includes evidence, judges and charges, but in my case we don’t have any of that, and it’s not just me.

“Many people in the UK have been affected by that.”

Mr Assange said the “fundamental basis of sovereignty” means that “random officials” in Brussels should not be able to force the police in a country to arrest certain people but, he said, Mr Cameron insists the Government has no choice but to engage in a “siege” outside the Ecuadorian embassy.

“But of course actually the EAW has been pushed by the former Labour government and this Government and Cameron passes the buck to the EU in that case,” he said.

Mr Assange said the UK is responsible for having “pushed” some of the “worst elements coming out of the EU”.

He said: “The UK is bad for the EU but also the EU is bad for the UK because it permits a lack of democratic accountability in this country by permitting successive governments in this country to simply say ‘oh, we are forced into doing things because of EU legislation’ when it is precisely these governments that have been behind the EU legislation in the first place.”

Mr Assange also told Peston that WikiLeaks has “upcoming leaks” relating to US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton as he predicted a “very big year” for the organisation.

He also labelled Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate frontrunner, a “completely unpredictable phenomenon”.