Could Julian Assange be offered asylum in New Zealand? Government to consider allowing the Wikileaks founder to stay in the country

  • Petition to have him moved to the country was signed by 2,000 New Zealanders
  • It has been given to clerk of house and will be formally considered in parliament
  • Free Assange NZ group said it hadn’t forgot about Wikileaks founder, even if  world had

By Connor Boyd For Mailonline

Published: 09:03 BST, 10 September 2018 | Updated: 09:04 BST, 10 September 2018

Julian Assange could be offered asylum in New Zealand after thousands of people rallied to have him moved to the country.

Politicians will now formally discuss the idea in parliament after a petition was signed by more than 2,000 New Zealanders. 

The ‘Free Assange NZ’ group launched the petition in July and has been rallying to bring the Australian to their country.

Julian Assange could be offered asylum in New Zealand after 2,000 people signed a petition

Julian Assange could be offered asylum in New Zealand after 2,000 people signed a petition

The group said it hadn’t forgot about the plight of the Assange, even if the world had.

Its members are currently following whistleblower Chelsea Manning on her tour of New Zealand to remind people of the petition.

Labour politician Greg O’Connor said while he didn’t support Assange coming to New Zealand, he’d present the idea to parliament because of its popularity. 

The Wikileaks founder has been living a life of almost total isolation inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London since he was granted asylum in 2012 

The Wikileaks founder has been living a life of almost total isolation inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London since he was granted asylum in 2012 

The Wikileaks founder has been living a life of almost total isolation inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London since he was granted asylum in 2012 

The Wikileaks founder has been living a life of almost total isolation inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London since he was granted asylum in 2012. 

He has been wanted in the US since he published classified documents leaked by former US Army soldier Chelsea Manning in 2010. 

On March 28 this year, Assange was banned from having any contact with the outside world except via his legal team after he posted a tweet questioning the UK government’s claim that Russia was behind the Novichok attack in Salisbury. 

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