WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange travelled to Europe and Asia trying to recruit hackers, US government alleges
- Prosecutors say it further demonstrates that Assange sought to procure and release classified information, which is the basis of existing criminal charges
- Assange was arrested last year after being evicted from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London and is at the centre of an ongoing extradition tussle
The superseding indictment does not contain additional charges beyond the 18 counts the Justice Department unsealed last year. But prosecutors say it underscores Assange’s efforts to procure and release classified information, allegations that form the basis of criminal charges he already faces.
Beyond recruiting hackers at conference, the indictment accuses Assange of conspiring with the leader of LulzSec, a hacking group, and asking to be provided with documents and databases.
Prosecutors say Assange also published on WikiLeaks emails from a data breach of an American intelligence community consulting company by a hacker affiliated with LulzSec and “Anonymous”, another hacking group.
Assange’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said in a statement that “the government’s relentless pursuit of Julian Assange poses a grave threat to journalists everywhere and to the public’s right to know”.
“While today’s superseding indictment is yet another chapter in the US Government’s effort to persuade the public that its pursuit of Julian Assange is based on something other than his publication of newsworthy truthful information,” he added, “the indictment continues to charge him with violating the Espionage Act based on WikiLeaks publications exposing war crimes committed by the US Government”.