JULIAN Assange has committed no crime under Australian law, the Australian federal police have told the government just hours after the WikiLeaks co-founder was freed from a British prison.
The advice from the Australian Federal Police sparked attacks on Prime Minister Julia Gillard over her comments early this month about the illegality of the posting of the WikiLeaks cables.
Ms Gillard yesterday launched a fresh attack on WikiLeaks, but she is now carefully not accusing it of illegality.
She told her news conference she knew some people were fans of WikiLeaks. ''Let me make it very, very clear, I am not.
''The release of all this documentation has been grossly irresponsible'' and had been done without regard to ''national interest questions'', including Australia's national interest.
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Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the Australian Federal Police had noted a number of offences that could be applied ''depending on whether all the elements of the offence could be proved''.
But it had not identified any criminal offences where Australia had jurisdiction, so it had not started an investigation.
After being released on bail by the High Court in London, Mr Assange - who is wanted for questioning on sexual assault charges in Sweden - is now under house arrest at a supporter's house in Suffolk.
Mr Assange was freed on bail after the High Court in London rejected an attempt by British lawyers acting for Sweden to keep him in jail while he fights the extradition attempt, a process that could take months.
As Mr Assange arrived at the house, he said he expected the US, which has condemned the WikiLeaks cable releases, to bring spy charges against him.
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