WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange gets kitten to keep him company

LONDON – It may not be so lonely for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the embassy quarters he’s called home for nearly four years.

Now he has a fluffy kitten to keep him company.

The news about Assange’s kitten was made public by WikiLeaks — once known for uncovering deeply held government secrets — and its media operation Sunshine Press.

The organization said the kitten was a gift from Assange’s children “to keep their father company.”

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in central London since 2012 rather than return to Sweden for questioning about alleged sex crimes. He faces arrest by British police if he leaves the building and, with the exception of occasional trips to the embassy balcony, has not been outside for years.

He fears being sent to the United States on possible charges there related to WikiLeaks’ publication of secret documents.

WikiLeaks and Sunshine Press have released a photograph of the kitten and Assange appearing deep in contemplation.

The kitten had not been named Tuesday but already had its own Twitter handle.