Julian Assange unlikely to face U.S. charges over publishing classified documents

The Washington Post reports: The Justice Department has all but concluded it will not bring charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing classified documents because government lawyers said they could not do so without also prosecuting U.S. news organizations and journalists, according to U.S. officials.

The officials stressed that a formal decision has not been made, and a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks remains impaneled, but they said there is little possibility of bringing a case against Assange, unless he is implicated in criminal activity other than releasing online top-secret military and diplomatic documents.

The Obama administration has charged government employees and contractors who leak classified information — such as former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and former Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning — with violations of the Espionage Act. But officials said that although Assange published classified documents, he did not leak them, something they said significantly affects their legal analysis.

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3 thoughts on “Julian Assange unlikely to face U.S. charges over publishing classified documents

  1. rosemerry

    I thought it was NOT top secret documents released.
    Also, Assange is NOT a Mercan, while the others are. Surely that makes a difference, even if he is called a “traitor” by Feinstein and others.
    In any case, I cannot imagine if he were free that he would choose to visit the USA.

  2. sgtsabai

    And if you believe for one second the US government won’t prosecute or assassinate Assange (same with all those involved in proving how out of control, criminal and un-Constitutional NSA etc. is) if it can get it’s hands on him I have a bridge across the Pacific I will be glad to sell you.

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