Australia should intervene in Assange case: WikiLeaks legal team

The Australian government should intervene to help Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, in his court battles, says the legal team of the founder of WikiLeaks.

''I think Canberra may have to do something about it,'' Geoffrey Robertson, Assange's legal counsel, told journalists on Thursday. ''It's got a duty to help Australians in peril in foreign courts.''

The WikiLeaks founder lost a legal battle in a British high court on Wednesday and could be extradited to Sweden where he faces charges of rape and sexual assault. Assange has a fortnight's time to take up his case to the British supreme court.

Robertston fears Assange may not get a fair trial in Sweden. ''It doesn't have bail, doesn't have money bail for foreigners, so he's likely to be held in custody,'' said the lawyer. ''He's going to be tried in secret, and this is outrageous by our standards and by any standards."

Assange's legal team fears that he would ultimately be packed off to the US, where he could face serious charges of spying.

Endorsing his legal team, Assange's mother, Christine told the media that her son would not resist extradition to Sweden if the Australian government guaranteed that he would not be extradited to the US. ''If that was to take place I believe Julian would go to Sweden and not resist it,'' she said. ''His concern is that he'll be rendered on.''