Renowned Spanish judge to lead Assange asylum team

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has hired Spanish jurist Baltasar Garzon as a legal adviser as he seeks political asylum in Ecuador, the country’s foreign minister Ricardo Patino said.

Assange has been taking refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since Jun 19. The Australian, who enraged Washington in 2010 when WikiLeaks published secret US diplomatic cables, is wanted for questioning in Sweden over sex crime allegations.

Assange broke his bail terms and requested asylum in Ecuador. He denies any wrongdoing in Sweden and says he fears that if extradited there, he could be sent to the US, where he believes he could face criminal charges punishable by death.