US wrong to charge Assange for publishing unredacted documents, court hears
A mobile advertising board with a "Don't Extradite Assange" message outside the Old Bailey, London
THE US is wrong to charge Julian Assange for publishing unredacted classified documents because they had already appeared online beforehand, the extradition hearing for the Wikileaks founder heard today.
Computer scientist Professor Christian Grothoff said that Wikileaks was not the first to release 251,000 diplomatic cables when they appeared on its website on September 2 2011.
Mr Assange, 49, is fighting extradition to the US, where he faces an 18-count indictment alleging a plot to hack computers and conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information.
More from this author
The wholesale murder by Israel's armed forces of journalists in Gaza is a cause for international concern, writes TIM DAWSON
TIM DAWSON looks at how obsessive police surveillance of journalists undermines the very essence of democracy
At long last the WikiLeaks founder is free. For all those who care about freedom of speech it’s time to celebrate, writes TIM DAWSON of the International Federation of Journalists
