Julian Assange adamant he does not want to go to the US
US authorities want Assange’s extradition so he can face trial on accusations he conspired to illegally download classified government material
London — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told a London court on Thursday that he doesn’t want “to surrender to America” as he fights extradition over the leak of national security information. Appearing via video-link from the high-security Belmarsh prison, Assange said he wouldn’t agree to go to the US to face charges. US authorities are pursuing extradition so he can face trial on accusations that he conspired with former US Army analyst Chelsea Manning to illegally download classified government material. “I do not wish to surrender to America for doing journalism, which has won many awards and affected many people,” Assange said. The case was postponed for a brief procedural hearing on May 30, before a more substantial hearing on June 12, by which time the US is likely to have laid its formal legal documents. “The charge relates to one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the US,” Ben Brandon, a lawyer representing American authorities, said. I...
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