Russia moots Nobel Prize for Assange

Russia today suggested to help the jailed whistleblower website WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and nominate him for the coveted Nobel Prize by the NGOs.

Russia on Wednesday suggested to help the jailed whistleblower website WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and nominate him for the coveted Nobel Prize by the NGOs.

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"Non-governmental and government organisations should think of ways to help him. Perhaps he could be awarded a Nobel Prize," unnamed Kremlin sources were quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

39-year-old Australian Assange was denied bail and remanded to judicial custody on arrest warrants issued by Sweden on charges of sexual assault.

World leaders and diplomats have downplayed the impact of the leaking of sensitive US diplomatic cables on international relations, described by some as Diplomatic 9/11.

However, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had said they demonstrate how "cynical" American diplomacy was.

Kremlin's suggestion of awarding Nobel Prize to Assange, could have been prompted by the leaked NATO military plans to defend Baltic States from Russia on the backdrop of the western alliance's vows of closer cooperation with Moscow at the recent Lisbon summit.