Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, now in a run-in with the US administration, is planning to contest a seat to the Australian Senate. Assange, an Australian citizen, is being detained in the UK ahead of a possible extradition to Sweden where he is wanted on sexual assault allegations. Wikileaks announced that Assange is planning to run for a seat in Australian Senate, adding that the 40-year-old's current legal status did not bar him from contesting, ABC news reported. "We have discovered that it is possible for Julian Assange to run for the Australian Senate while detained," Wikileaks said on Twitter.
In its tweet, Wikileaks said it would also put up a candidate against Prime Minister Julia Gillard in her Lower House Victorian seat of Lalor. "The name of the Laylor candidate and the state Julian will run for will be announced at the appropriate time," Wikileaks said. The Australian government has also been hard on Assange and Wikileaks describing its leakage of US diplomatic cables as "grossly irresponsible".
Gillard has also asked Australian police to investigate whether Wikileaks had broken any Australian law.
