Wikileaks to release documents on US election

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday promised to release “significant material” in the run-up to next month’s U.S. presidential election.

Assange addressed a news conference in Berlin to say the group would release around a million documents on the Nov. 8 election, internet giant Google as well as arms and oil deals.

Speaking via video link from the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he sought refuge in 2012 to avoid possible extradition to Sweden over rape allegations that he denies, Assange said: “Our upcoming series includes significant material on war, on arms, on oil, on Google, on the U.S. elections.”

The first group of documents will be released in the coming week. He declined to give further information about the releases other than to say the material would reveal details about “three powerful organizations in three different states”.

He denied that an “October surprise” would target U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Within days of the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, Wikileaks released around 300,000 emails related to the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party. The group was criticized for dumping emails that contained no revealing information and threatened the privacy and potential safety of millions or ordinary citizens.