Snowden defends WikiLeaks: 'Censorship is never the answer’

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National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden said critics should not try to silence WikiLeaks or its founder, Julian Assange.

Snowden tweeted on Monday afternoon, saying that "no matter your opinion" of the site or the founder, "censorship is never the answer."

WikiLeaks said earlier Monday that Assange’s internet connection had been “intentionally severed by a state party.”

No matter your opinion of @Wikileaks or Assange, censorship is never the answer. https://t.co/oe49dk7Gzn

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 17, 2016

The anti-secrecy website added it had “activated the appropriate contingency plans” to keep Assange in touch with the global public.

WikiLeaks later Monday afternoon accused the Ecuadorian government of cutting off Assange’s internet at its embassy in London.

Assange has not left the Ecuadorian embassy there since 2012, due to Swedish rape charges against him.

The WikiLeaks founder has repeatedly insisted that leaving the embassy to address the charges would end with his extradition to the U.S.

The foundation of a free society is our willingness to defend the rights of even those with whom we disagree. Popular words need no defense.

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 17, 2016

WikiLeaks has been publishing thousands of documents allegedly stolen from the personal email account of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign manager John Podesta.

The transparency website last weekend, for example, issued transcripts of three paid speeches Clinton made to Goldman Sachs.

Clinton’s paid speeches to major financial firms were a major issue in her Democratic presidential primary fight with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Sanders repeatedly pressured Clinton, now the Democratic presidential nominee, to release transcripts of the talks and prove she was not unduly influenced by corporate interests.

We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange's internet access Saturday, 5pm GMT, shortly after publication of Clinton's Goldman Sachs speechs.

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 17, 2016

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, meanwhile, has begun using information revealed by WikiLeaks to portray Clinton as corrupt.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Sunday compared the recent hack of Podesta’s emails to the Watergate scandal that brought down former President Richard Nixon.

“At least in my lifetime, I can’t think of a precedent of a foreign nation trying to destabilize an American election,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee said on “Fox News Sunday." "This is the current version of that Watergate attack."