The Sydney Peace Foundation has accused the federal government of "demonising" Queensland-born WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as it handed him its highest award. The peace foundation presented Mr Assange a gold medal in recognition of his "exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights" at a ceremony in London on Tuesday, May 10.

It is only the fourth time in the organization’s 14-year history that the prize for extraordinary achievement in promoting peace with justice has been given out. Previous winners are Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Japanese Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda.

Foundation director Professor Stuart Rees said the award was to honor Mr Assange's work in challenging official secrecy. But he accused the Australian government of demonising Mr Assange and aiding U.S. efforts to behave like a totalitarian state.

Mr Assange, who was named as the award recipient in February, welcomed the prize. "The real value of this award, and the Sydney Peace Foundation, is that it makes explicit the link between peace and justice," he said in a statement, AFP reported.