Assange's mother pleads for Ecuador asylum

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QUITO, Ecuador, July 29 (UPI) -- The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said she has traveled to Ecuador to plead with authorities to grant her son asylum in the country.

Assange is holed up inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and had applied for political asylum on June 19.

He had been arrested in Britain in 2010 for suspicion of sexual molestation and rape in Sweden, though he denies the allegations. His bail conditions require him to say at the home of a friend outside of London, though he broke the conditions by going to the embassy, CNN reported.

His mother, Christine Assange, told Ecuadorian news Web site El Ciudadano she's afraid Swedish authorities will hand her son over to the United States where he could be prosecuted for releasing more than 250,000 confidential U.S. documents.

"Surely, the (Ecuadorian) president and his staff will make the best decision," Christine Assange said. She said she planned to meet with officials Monday.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said the case is under review, acknowledging the United States uses capital punishment for political crimes.

"We have to see whether everything that's being done in the case of Julian Assange is compatible with ... the constitution and our view of human rights, political rights and due process," he said.