The outfit, which used to fight media censorship, before it started sourcing its material from dubious Russian sources, is now issuing statements saying that the press is forbidden from saying the following things about Assange.

WikiLeaks sent an unsolicited email to reporters Sunday asking them to stop reporting a list of 140 "false and defamatory" statements about founder Julian Assange, ranging from Assange bleaching his hair to stories about him walking into meeting rooms at the Ecuadorian embassy in his underwear.

Here is some of the list

• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange bleaches his hair."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange has ever walked into embassy meeting rooms in his underwear."
• It is false and defamatory to suggest that Ecuador suggested that Julian Assange did not look after his cat or asked him to improve his care of it."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange has ever neglected an animal."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Ecuador asked Julian Assange to improve his hygiene."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange has ever tortured a cat or dog."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange does not use cutlery or does not wash his hands."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange lives, or has ever lived, in a basement, cupboard or under the stairs."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange's profession is "computer programmer."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange or WikiLeaks promoted or invented the 'Pizzagate' conspiracy theory."
• "It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange filed a lawsuit or any other measure against Ecuador over his pet cat, laundry or cleaning [in fact, his cat is not at the embassy since before the protection case was filed]."

However some of this comes from complaints from Ecuadorian embassy staff. According to The Guardian, employees are upset that Assange ruins the floors by skateboarding through the hallways, plays soccer on the grounds, and hasn't consistently cleaned up after his cat (Assange set his cat free in November).

Most of the list is preoccupied with deflecting accusations that have often been lobbied against Assange. For example that  he is an agent of any intelligence service, that he is "Russian owned," and that he is in Ecuador's embassy as anything other than a political refugee. It also denies that he communicated with Roger Stone in advance of the 2016 presidential election or that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked to interview him.

It denies, for example, that there's a "Russian plan" to "smuggle" Assange from the embassy in London, that he "drinks to excess" and that his "mother is, or ever was, a 'hippie.'" The denials are also obsessed with Assange's hygiene.

The list also includes self-promotional items that no one has ever denied, like "It is false and defamatory to deny that Julian Assange is an award-winning editor, journalist, publisher, author and producer who has won the highest journalism award in his country, the Walkley, among many others".

Some of it is PR spin such as the fact the list says that it is "false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange has ever played soccer or used a skateboard during week days or office hours at the embassy" - this does not suggest that Assange hasn't played soccer or shredded his skateboard outside of the embassy's normal office hours.