German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he would welcome British courts protecting Australian Julian Assange, with the WikiLeaks founder fighting to avoid extradition to the United States from Britain.
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US prosecutors are seeking to put Assange, 52, on trial over WikiLeaks' high-profile release of vast troves of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables.
They argue the leaks imperilled the lives of their agents and there was no excuse for his alleged criminality.
Assange's supporters hail him as a journalist and a hero who is being persecuted for exposing US wrongdoing.
"I am of the opinion that it would be good if the British courts granted him the necessary protection because he has to expect persecution in the USA, given the fact that he has betrayed American state secrets," he said at a school event on Monday.
Australian Associated Press
