The War on WikiLeaks and Assange

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Wednesday, 12 June 2019 07:30

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US formally requests Assange be extradited to face charges

By Sam Varghese

The US Department of Justice has made a formal request to the UK to extradite WikiLeaks publisher and founder Julian Assange to face charges of conspiring to break into US Government computers and violation of an espionage law after he serves a jail term in Britain.

An official from the UK Home Office said London had now received the full request for extradition of the Australian.

The Washington Post reported that the US prosecutors had sent the request last Thursday before a legal deadline expired.

Assange is set to face a hearing in London over the extradition on 14 June.

 

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Newstalk Ireland
UK home secretary signs US extradition request for Julian Assange

Stephen McNeice 15.23 13 Jun 2019

US authorities are seeking the WikiLeaks' founder extradition to face charges related to the publication of the documents which exposed evidence of war crimes carried out by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The US Justice Department claims the publication of thousands of secret and classified documents on the WikiLeaks website “risked serious harm” to US national security.

An 18-count indictment include charges accusing Mr Assange of conspiring with whistleblower Chelsea Manning to gain access to a government computer, and of conspiring to obtain and disclose national defence documents

Mr Assange's lawyer has labelled the charges against him a "threat" to all journalists, while WikiLeaks suggested the charges mark the "end of national security journalism and the first amendment".

47-year-old Mr Assange is currently detained in the UK, following his arrest at London's Ecuadorian Embassy in April.

He spent nearly seven years in the embassy after seeking refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden.

He is currently serving 50 weeks in jail for breaching his UK bail conditions.

 

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GIZMODO News

British Official Signs U.S. Extradition Order For Julian Assange Despite Hostility Between UK Home Secretary and Trump Regime

Matt Novak
6/13/2019

Britain’s Home Secretary Sajid Javid told BBC Radio today that he has signed the extradition order for Julian Assange, paving the way for the WikiLeaks founder to be sent to the U.S. to face charges of computer hacking and espionage.

“There’s an extradition request from the U.S. that is before the courts tomorrow, but yesterday I signed the extradition order, certified it, and that will be going in front of the courts tomorrow,” Javid said according to Australia’s public broadcaster, the ABC.

Assange is scheduled to appear in a UK court on Friday, though it’s not clear whether he’ll appear by video link or in person.

“It’s a decision ultimately for the courts but there is a very important part of it for the Home Secretary and I want to see justice done at all times, and we’ve got a legitimate extradition request so I’ve signed it, but the final decision is now with the courts,” Javid continued.

Curiously, Home Secretary Javid signed the extradition paperwork despite not being on the best terms with the U.S. government right now. Javid wasn’t invited to attend formal ceremonies when President Donald Trump recently visited the UK and some believe it’s because Javid criticized Trump’s treatment of Muslims in 2017 as well as the American president’s retweets of the far right group Britain First. Javid has a Muslim background, though he insists he doesn’t know why he wasn’t invited to the recent U.S.-focused events in Britain.

 

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