A day after France rejected Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s “request” for asylum, the whistleblower’s defense team has said Assange did not file for asylum in the first place. Assange’s defense team director, Baltasar Garzon, said in a statement that an open letter from Assange to France only expressed willingness “to be hosted in France if and only if an initiative was taken by the competent authorities.” French Prime Minister TK Hollande’s office meanwhile, said Friday that it could not “act on the request.” Assange faces accusations from two Swedish women of rape, molestation and illegal coercion.
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