Julian Assange criminal investigation into WikiLeaks and asked allied nations for assistance. In November 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for Assange. He had been questioned there months earlier over allegations of sexual assault and rape. Assange denied the allegations, and said that he would be extradited from Sweden to the United States because of his rôle in publishing secret American documents. Assange surrendered to UK police on 7 December 2010 but was released on bail within 10 days. Having been unsuccessful in his challenge to the extradition proceedings, he breached his bail and absconded. He was granted asylum by Ecuador
Julian Assange Assange made the decision to seek asylum because he felt abandoned by the Australian government. The Australian Attorney-General at the time Nicola Roxon had written a letter to Assange’s legal representative Jennifer Robinson in which she wrote that Australia would not seek to involve itself in any international exchanges about Assange’s future. She also wrote that "should Mr Assange be convicted of any offence in the United States and a sentence of imprisonment imposed, he may apply for an international prisoner transfer to Australia". Assange’s lawyers described the letter as a "declaration of abandonment". Assange and his supporters state he