Mom of WikiLeaks founder defends her son

BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says her son believes he's "doing a good thing" despite denunciation from the United States and its allies.

Christine Assange, who lives in Brisbane, Australia, said her son was a "seeker of truth" and got his first computer when he was 13 years old, the Brisbane Herald Sun reported Wednesday.

"Whether you agree with what Julian does or not, living by what you believe in and standing up for something is a good thing," she said. "He sees what he's doing as doing a good thing in the world, fighting baddies, if you like."

Interpol issued a "red notice" for Assange, 39, saying he was wanted for "sex crimes" on an arrest warrant filed in Gothenburg, Sweden, The New York Times reported. Assange's whereabouts were not immediately known, police said.

The notice came after WikiLeaks offered for publication more than 250,000 U.S. State Department cables to the Times and several other newspapers. The documents included communications about U.S. policy in Iran, Pakistan, Korea and elsewhere.

Assange's mother said she feared her son had "gotten too smart for himself" and was distancing himself from his family for safety reasons.

"I'm concerned it's gotten too big and the forces that he's challenging are too big," she said.