Why assange was arrested

Barry Pollack, an attorney for Assange, echoed the sentiment in an email to Yahoo News. When reports surfaced last year that the US government had indicted Assange, there was a lot of speculation about what, specifically, he was being charged with. Per the indictment, it appears the attempt was unsuccessful.

Compared to what some observers thought the indictment might be — including much more serious charges under the Espionage Act — the charge against Assange is, frankly, a pretty small one.

That the US government would go to such extreme lengths to go after Assange has caused some alarm, especially in light of how small the charge is against him, at least for now.

If I punch someone to get them to talk to me for a story or break into their house to steal documents, I can still be charged with assault or robbery. Whether Assange committed a crime in his work with Manning is something that will ultimately be decided if he is indeed extradited and brought to trial.

What it could all hinge on: Did he just advise Manning on how to avoid detection, or was he conspiring with her to get information in an illegal way? There are some prior cases that illustrate how this could play out, and where the line is. In , the Supreme Court ruled on a case called Bartnicki v.

In that case, a person intercepted and recorded a phone call between a union negotiator and union president and sent it to a radio station, which played a tape of the conversation. Other cases, however, have gone the other way.

The station ultimately settled the related lawsuit. A journalist was arrested for allegations that he aided and abetted a TWA pilot who stole evidence from the TWA Flight crash in the s.

The debate about Assange and WikiLeaks stretches far beyond helping Manning crack a password. However, there is an alternative explanation for Trump's interest in a case that Rohde said that if successfully prosecuted would have a "chilling effect" on First Amendment protections for the press: Trump's disdain for the media.

Trump "probably believes he can profit politically from pursuing Assange," he said. While the U. Dana Rohrabacher, offered him a pardon if he agreed to say Russia was not involved in leaking the emails. The White House and Rohrabacher deny a pardon was offered. As the extradition hearing got underway, Fitzgerald told a British judge the U. WikiLeaks intrigue: Trump offered Assange a pardon if he cleared Russia, lawyer says.

If Assange is extradited to the U. The U. Justice Department chose not to comment on whether the Eastern District of Virginia would offer an impartial setting for jury selection in any Assange trial. The White House and U. State Department chose not to comment on whether the administration was concerned about the impact of Assange's case on the First Amendment.

Lewis, who represents the U. In a briefing with reporters ahead of Assange's hearing, Kristin Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief, described the indictment against Assange as "propaganda. And Jennifer Robinson, a member of Assange's legal team, said he did "what all journalists, all honorable ones," do every day: take receipt of information, communicate about how to protect the source of that information Manning , and publish it.

Still, it's far from certain that Assange will lose his extradition case. And even if he does, it does not automatically follow he will be sent to the U. Doobay said if the judge decides "not to refuse" the U. British law forbids extradition under such circumstances.

While none of the current charges carry the death penalty, Assange's supporters have argued that the Trump administration can't be trusted and could decide to unveil additional charges that do carry a death sentence once Assange arrives on U. Doobay noted that most extradition requests the U. It's not clear what will happen if Assange prevails in the British court.

Because he has already served the 50 weeks for skipping bail he could simply be free to go. But if he is deported to his native Australia, the U. It could also issue an international arrest warrant if he travels beyond Britain's borders. Assange's health will also be considered and Nils Melzer, the United Nations' special rapporteur on torture, said in an interview that when he visited Assange in Belmarsh Prison in May last year he was displaying symptoms akin to "psychological torture" likely caused by prolonged exposure to extreme stress, chronic anxiety and isolation.

In a series of preliminary hearings Assange has attended in person and by video link from prison he has sometimes appeared frail and confused when questioned by the judge.

He has also lost weight. However, appearing in court for the extradition hearing in late February he mostly looked relaxed and appeared able to follow along with the proceedings.

Although he complained several times that he was struggling to hear the legal arguments being made by both sides because of being forced to sit behind a high glass barrier in the courtroom, a scenario he said that has also prevented him from giving "confidential instructions" to his lawyers. Assange's legal team asked the judge, Vanessa Baraitser, to consider whether he can sit in the well of court, next to them, when evidence in the case is heard in May.

Assange suddenly stands up and says, pointing through the glass, 'this is exactly the problem he tried to pass a note and Summers did not see it. Judge: 'Mr. This is exactly the kind of situation that Assange had been hoping to avoid by taking refuge in the embassy.

Until now, Ecuador's refusal to grant that permission had effectively sheltered Assange from arrest. At the same time, the US Department of Justice announced that Assange had been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, alleging that he helped the former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on US Department of Defense computers.

If convicted, Assange faces a maximum sentence of five years. Assange was granted asylum status by the Ecuadorian government in August , two months after he entered the embassy.

The president also said that Assange had violated the rules set by the Ecuadorian government for his stay in the embassy.

Assange had been facing a European arrest warrant ordered by Sweden so he could face rape charges, which he denied. And actress Pamela Anderson, who has visited the embassy to support Assange, said the arrest was a "vile injustice". Ecuador court throws out Assange lawsuit. Profile: Julian Assange. Who is Julian Assange? A timeline of the Julian Assange saga. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London. How likely is a conviction in US? What happened in court? Image source, Reuters. Assange gave a thumbs up as he was taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court in a police van. Why does the US government want to extradite Assange? What are the US charges against him?

Why did the Ecuadorian embassy stop protecting him? Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson and Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson say the arrest sets a dangerous precedent. How have people reacted? Timeline: Julian Assange saga. It says there are two separate allegations - one of rape and one of molestation. Assange says the claims are "without basis" December - Assange is arrested in London and bailed at the second attempt May - The UK's Supreme Court rules he should be extradited to Sweden to face questioning over the allegations June - Assange enters the Ecuadorean embassy in London August - Ecuador grants asylum to Assange, saying there are fears his human rights might be violated if he is extradited August - Swedish prosecutors drop their investigation into two allegations - one of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion because they have run out of time to question him.