Spokesman for WikiLeaks, which has been helping whistleblower, says Ecuador critics paint too bleak a picture
WikiLeaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson has defended the press freedom record of Ecuador and dismissed a recent Committee to Protect Journalists report that criticised the country's commitment to journalists' freedom, saying the findings "might be wrong in some ways".
In a heated exchange on Australian breakfast TV, Hrafnsson responded to questions from ABC journalist Virigina Trioli, following news that WikiLeaks has been offering legal advice to National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden, who is understood to be making his way to Ecuador, where he plans to seek asylum with the assistance of the WikiLeaks legal team.
The Committee to Protect Journalists risk list, which examines a number of press freedom criteria including censorship, the implementation of restrictive laws and the number of exiled journalists, placed Ecuador among the 10 worst countries in the world.
It said that 11 private radio stations had been forced to close, that there was now a 90-day ban on political coverage before elections and that three journalists had been forced into exile over the past year.
Triole asked Hrafnsson: "Why would fighters for press freedom end up in the arms of regime like that?"
Hrafnsson said critics of press freedom in the South American country painted "too much of a bleak picture".
When pressed further Hrafnsson said one could "criticise the media laws and journalistic freedom in most countries in the world".
Hrafnsson was then asked if advising use of Ecuador as a refuge for political asylum was hypocritical, given the organisation's commitment to openness and transparency. He replied: "Why is it for WikiLeaks to defend the situation in Ecuador in that respect? This is the decision of Edward Snowden to go to that country, and this the main issue at hand here.
"The main issue at hand is the information that he has leaked, and given to the general public, that should be the main issue that should be discussed. The heroic acts of this young man, and his great sacrifice and his contribution."
The whistleblower is understood to be awaiting transport to Ecuador in Moscow. He fled Hong Kong on Sunday, where he had been holed up following the release of cache of documents to the Guardian detailing the NSA's surveillance programme.
The leak has been described as one of the most significant in history and has resulted in the American government issuing an extradition notice for Snowden to face charges of espionage in the United States.