Assange's accusers hit back

The two Swedish women who accuse Julian Assange of sex crimes are not pawns of the CIA but WikiLeaks supporters seeking justice for a violation of their "sexual integrity", their lawyer, Claes Borgstrom, has said.

"He [Mr Assange] has been spreading false rumours he knows are untrue," Mr Borgstrom said. Denying that the women were part of a smear campaign, he said: "They, too, are supporters of WikiLeaks."

Mr Assange denies allegations of sexual misconduct, which his lawyers say stem from a dispute over "consensual but unprotected sex". He is fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden.

Zimbabwe's Attorney General, Johannes Tomana, said yesterday he would investigate possible treason charges against any locals who had briefed US diplomats – details of which were reported in the cables released by WikiLeaks.