Assange turns on the Guardian over assault case coverage

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange has fiercely criticised media partner the Guardian, accusing the newspaper of "selectively publishing" incriminating sections of a Swedish police report about the sexual assault allegations he faces.

Speaking in this morning's Times (paywall) in his first UK newspaper interview since releasing the US embassy cables, Assange claims that the leak of the police report to the Guardian was deliberately timed to undermine his bail application and calls an article by Nick Davies based on the report "disgusting".

"The leak of the police report to the Guardian was clearly designed to undermine my bail application. It was timed to come up on the desk of of the judge that morning."

Assange claims that the police documents were leaked 24 hours before his final bail hearing last Thursday. They were not published by the Guardian until Saturday however, after he had been granted bail.

A spokesman from the Guardian's publisher, Guardian News and Media told Journalism.co.uk that: "His lawyers promised a full response by Friday, 4pm. They did not come through with a response but we included a statement and other rebuttals Julian made to the police.

"Julian Assange is not a confidential source. The argument that the papers involved with the WikiLeaks cables should not report criticism of him is one all journalists would find ridiculous. His lawyers have publicly accused the women who have made rape allegations of being part of a 'honey trap' and have said they are part of a dark conspiracy. That is their choice, but they can hardly complain if their claims - made out of court - are held up to journalistic examination."

Speaking at a debate in October with Times columnist David Aaronovitch, Assange accused the Times of inaccuracy over a story which claimed that an Afghan informant had died as a result of the publication of the Afghan war logs.

Related articles on Journalism.co.uk:

NYT cut out by WikiLeaks, forced to obtain embassy cables from Guardian.

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