PARIS, Ramadan 16, 1436, Jul 3, 2015, SPA -- France swiftly rejected an asylum request from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, noting his life is not in immediate danger and he is facing a European arrest warrant, UPI reported. Assange, who is living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning about sexual-assault allegations, wrote an open letter to President Francois Hollande published in the French daily newspaper Le Monde on Friday, alleging he has been the target of political persecution. "I am a journalist who has been pursued and threatened with death by U.S. authorities because of my professional activities," Assange wrote. "By welcoming me, France would carry out a humanitarian and symbolic gesture, sending encouragement to every journalist and whistleblower." --SPA 17:53 LOCAL TIME 14:53 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w