The mother of Australian-born WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange does not want her son "hunted down" by Interpol over two rape charges issued by the Swedish police, a report said on Wednesday.
The international police agency has issued a global arrest warrant for Assange, one of the founders of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks which has caused a storm around the world by dumping secret messages from United States diplomatic missions onto the Internet.
His mother, Christine Assange, said she was "as any mother would be, very distressed" that authorities were looking for her son, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said.
"He's my son and I love him and obviously I don't want him hunted down and jailed," she told the state broadcaster.
"I'm reacting as any mother would - I'm distressed."
Christine Assange, who lives in Queensland, denied that she had moved away from her home town of Melbourne because of media interest in her son.
"A lot of stuff that's written about me and Julian is untrue," she said.
The ABC said Christine Assange runs a puppet theater in Noosa.
The Australian government, which has joined governments around the world in condemning WikiLeaks release of confidential diplomatic cables, has confirmed Julian Assange, 39, is an Australian passport holder.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland said on Monday that while the US was leading moves toward legal action against WikiLeaks, Australia would fully support these efforts.
The Interpol alert against Assange, a computer hacker, states he is wanted in Sweden for questioning over the alleged rape and molestation of two women. Assange has denied the charges. He is said to live like a spy.
Questions:
1. In which country is Assange wanted for questioning?
2. What broadcasting company did his mother speak to?
3. What authority issued the alert?
Answers:
1. Sweden.
2. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
3. Interpol.
(中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑)
About the broadcaster:
Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.