Australia on Wednesday pledged consular help to WikiLeaks whistleblower site founder Julian Assange but backed away from its claim that releasing confidential US diplomatic cables constituted a crime, dpa reported.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said "all appropriate consular assistance" was being provided to Assange, an Australian citizen in police custody in London over Swedish allegations of rape.
Rudd refused to repeat Prime Minister Julia Gillard's claim that releasing confidential cables was a crime.
"It's a grossly irresponsible thing to do and an illegal thing to do," she had said in remarks that Assange's lawyers have said were defamatory.
Assange himself has accused Gillard of "disgraceful pandering" to the US by floating the notion that her government could cancel his passport.
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