Julian Assange charged by US prosecutors, but it’s not clear why
The charges were revealed in a filing in another case, but it seems clear the US wants to pursue the WikiLeaks founder’s extradition
London — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been charged by US federal prosecutors in Virginia in a move that suggests the US government is determined to pursue his extradition, according to a filing in an unrelated court case. It is unclear what Assange, who’s been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012, has been charged with. The indictment was revealed inadvertently in a filing in a case not connected to Assange. Assistant US attorney Kellen S Dwyer argued that the case “would need to remain sealed until Assange is arrested in connection with the charges in the criminal complaint and can therefore no longer evade or avoid arrest and extradition in this matter”. Assange has been under investigation ever since WikiLeaks published thousands of classified government documents, including diplomatic cables and military documents, starting in 2010. He’s also come under scrutiny by US special counsel Robert Mueller amid probes into possible collusion between the Trump ca...
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