video transcript

EDIT CONTAINS 4:3 MATERIAL WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, still holed up in the Ecuador embassy in London, now has several South American nations throwing their support behind the former computer hacker. The Union of South American Nations held a meeting to discuss Ecuador's soverign right to grant asylum and said they may consider asking the The Hague to adjudicate. Assange is wanted in Sweden for questioning over allegations of sexual assault, but took sanctuary in the Ecuadorean embassy in June to avoid being extradited. He says he's afraid Sweden would then hand him over to the U.S. where he could face long-term imprisonment for leaking U.S. military and diplomatic information in 2010. The U.S. has so far said nothing public on the matter. Assange's mother, back home in his native Australia, weighed in on her son's situation. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTINE ASSANGE, JULIAN ASSANGE'S MOTHER (SPEAKING OVER AUGUST 19 FOOTAGE OF JULIAN ASSANGE IN LONDON) SAYING: "So far he has made some very good choices and I'd say he should be standing firm where he is because the U.S., as he has said, has taken a wrong turn at this point in history and will be seen to be on the wrong side of history, abandoning its own constitution first amendment. Sweden has done the wrong thing and so has the UK. So he should stand firm knowing that he's done the right thing and that he has justice and truth and most of the world's people on his side." Assange is likely safe from authorities whilst inside the embassy, but British officials have said he will be arrested and sent to Sweden the moment he emerges.