Julian Assange Lawyers Say New U.S. Indictment Could Derail Extradition
Julian Assange Lawyers Say New U.S. Indictment Could Derail Extradition
(Bloomberg) -- A new U.S. indictment against Julian Assange could “derail” his extradition hearing in September, the WikiLeaks founder’s lawyer told a London court.
The U.S. Justice Department issued a new, broader indictment against Assange last week, alleging he conspired with hackers affiliated with the “Anonymous” and “LulzSec” groups.
“We are, to say the least, surprised by the timing of this development,” Assange’s lawyer, Mark Summers, said at a hearing Monday.
The 48-year-old WikiLeaks founder has been in custody or self-imposed exile in London for the better part of a decade. He initially sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 rather than face questioning in a Swedish rape case. Last year, after he was expelled from the embassy, he was charged by the U.S. over WikiLeaks disclosures.
Summers said Assange’s legal team had heard about the latest indictment through the press and is waiting to be served with it.
“We are concerned it has obvious capacity to derail the hearing date,” listed for three weeks in September, he said, adding that Assange’s legal team are keen to keep to the current timetable.
Lawyers for the U.S. said both parties are “considering the impact” the new indictment “will have on the case.”
The indictment doesn’t add new charges against Assange, but broadens the conspiracy allegations against him. The document continues to allege that Assange conspired with Army Intelligence Analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password to a classified U.S. Department of Defense computer.
Assange didn’t attend Monday’s hearing via video link from prison due to medical reasons, Summers told the court. However, Judge Vanessa Baraitser disputed this and said she had been told by prison staff that he’s not unwell, but rather refusing to attend court. She requested updated medical information for the next hearing.
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