Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail after his lawyers tried to get him out from behind bars because of the increasing risk of&nbsp;coronavirus.

Assange was denied bail after arguing that his release from a UK prison would mitigate his ''high risk''&nbsp;of catching coronavirus.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-founder-assanges-lawyers-to-apply-for-bail-citing-coronavirus-risk-288244">Wikileaks founder Assange's lawyers to apply for bail, citing coronavirus risk</a>

British district Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange had absconded before and said that Belmarsh prison is following government guidelines to protect detainees with no confirmed virus cases there yet.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assanges-uk-extradition-hearing-paused-until-may-283401">Julian Assange's UK extradition hearing paused until May</a>

“As matters stand today this global pandemic does not, of itself, yet provide grounds for Mr Assange’s release,” Judge Baraitser said.

She also expressed concern&nbsp;that was based on Assange’s past conduct, there are ''substantial grounds''&nbsp;to believe that if released he would not return to face his extradition hearing.

The Australian citizen's US extradition trial began in February after a US grand jury indicted Assange on 18 charges - 17 of which fall under the Espionage Act.

These included conspiracy to receive, obtain and disclose classified diplomatic and military documents.&nbsp;

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail after his lawyers tried to get him out from behind bars because of the increasing risk of coronavirus. Assange was denied bail after arguing that his release from a UK prison would mitigate his ''high risk'' of catching coronavirus.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail after his lawyers tried to get him out from behind bars because of the increasing risk of coronavirus. Assange was denied bail after arguing that his release from a UK prison would mitigate his ''high risk'' of catching coronavirus. Also read: Wikileaks founder Assange's lawyers to apply for bail, citing coronavirus risk British district Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange had absconded before and said that Belmarsh prison is following government guidelines to protect detainees with no confirmed virus cases there yet. Also read: Julian Assange's UK extradition hearing paused until May “As matters stand today this global pandemic does not, of itself, yet provide grounds for Mr Assange’s release,” Judge Baraitser said. She also expressed concern that was based on Assange’s past conduct, there are ''substantial grounds'' to believe that if released he would not return to face his extradition hearing. The Australian citizen's US extradition trial began in February after a US grand jury indicted Assange on 18 charges - 17 of which fall under the Espionage Act. These included conspiracy to receive, obtain and disclose classified diplomatic and military documents.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange denied bail post citing 'high coronavirus risk'

Julian&nbsp;Assange's lawyers will apply for his release on bail because of the risk of contracting coronavirus while in prison, Wikileaks said on Monday.

The Wikileaks founder is being held at a prison in London on an extradition warrant for publishing classified information about the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assanges-uk-extradition-hearing-paused-until-may-283401">Julian Assange's UK extradition hearing paused until May</a>

"On Wednesday, 25th of March, Julian&nbsp;Assange's lawyers will make a bail application at Westminster Magistrates Court," Wikileaks said in a statement.

The Australian is being held at Britain’s most notorious prison, Belmarsh in southeast London, which holds around 800 prisoners. His US&nbsp;extradition trial began in February and was adjourned until May 18.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/world/lawyer-to-court-julian-assange-stripped-naked-and-handcuffed-282750">Lawyer to court: Julian Assange stripped naked and handcuffed</a>

Assange is wanted in the United States on charges that he conspired to obtain and disclose classified documents passed to him by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

Last week his mother, Christine Assange, said her son should be released because he is a ''low-risk prisoner''&nbsp;who hasn’t been convicted of a crime.

Julian Assange's lawyers will apply for his release on bail because of the risk of contracting coronavirus while in prison, Wikileaks said on Monday. The Wikileaks founder is being held at a prison in London on an extradition warrant for publishing classified information about the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Julian Assange's lawyers will apply for his release on bail because of the risk of contracting coronavirus while in prison, Wikileaks said on Monday. The Wikileaks founder is being held at a prison in London on an extradition warrant for publishing classified information about the Iraq and Afghan wars. Also read: Julian Assange's UK extradition hearing paused until May "On Wednesday, 25th of March, Julian Assange's lawyers will make a bail application at Westminster Magistrates Court," Wikileaks said in a statement. The Australian is being held at Britain’s most notorious prison, Belmarsh in southeast London, which holds around 800 prisoners. His US extradition trial began in February and was adjourned until May 18. Also read: Lawyer to court: Julian Assange stripped naked and handcuffed Assange is wanted in the United States on charges that he conspired to obtain and disclose classified documents passed to him by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. Last week his mother, Christine Assange, said her son should be released because he is a ''low-risk prisoner'' who hasn’t been convicted of a crime.

Wikileaks founder Assange's lawyers to apply for bail, citing coronavirus risk

Julian Assange was stripped naked twice and handcuffed 11 times coming and going from the court, the WikiLeaks founder's lawyer told his US extradition hearing in London on Tuesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-war-on-journalists-behind-julian-assanges-extradition-bid-lawyer-282675">Trump's 'war on journalists' behind Julian Assange's extradition bid: Lawyer</a>

Assange faces charges under the US Espionage Act for the 2010 release of a trove of files detailing the realities of US military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pink-floyd-co-founder-joins-assange-supporters-in-london-protest-march-282259">Pink Floyd co-founder joins Assange supporters in London protest march</a>

"Yesterday, Mr Assange was handcuffed 11 times, stripped naked twice at Belmarsh and put in five separate holding cells," his lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said on Tuesday.

He warned that Assange's treatment could "impinge on these proceedings" and asked judge Vanessa Baraitser to give "an indication to prison authorities" that the regime should be relaxed.

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Baraitser said it was a matter for prison officials, saying she did not have the authority to instruct them on how to treat detainees.

She added that she would expect Assange to be treated fairly and like anyone else.

The 48-year-old Australian is being held at the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London during the extradition process.

His full extradition hearing, which opened on Monday, is taking place at the court buildings next to the jail.

Assange wore a grey blazer and a sweater over a collared shirt in court.

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He occasionally spoke to his lawyers through the gaps in the glass panels of the dock.

Assange spent much of the past decade holed up in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid separate legal proceedings in Sweden, but Washington is now seeking his transfer to stand trial.

WikiLeaks initially worked with a string of high-profile newspapers to publish details from the leaked State Department and Pentagon files, which caused a sensation -- and outrage in Washington.

On Monday, a lawyer for the United States accused him of risking the lives of intelligence sources by publishing classified US government documents.

Fitzgerald has argued that the US charges are "politically motivated".

Assange could be jailed for 175 years if convicted on all 17 Espionage Act charges and one count of computer hacking that he faces.

The hearings will last all week then reconvene in May

Julian Assange was stripped naked twice and handcuffed 11 times coming and going from the court, the WikiLeaks founder's lawyer told his US extradition hearing in London on Tuesday.

Julian Assange was stripped naked twice and handcuffed 11 times coming and going from the court, the WikiLeaks founder's lawyer told his US extradition hearing in London on Tuesday. Also read: Trump's 'war on journalists' behind Julian Assange's extradition bid: Lawyer Assange faces charges under the US Espionage Act for the 2010 release of a trove of files detailing the realities of US military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also read: Pink Floyd co-founder joins Assange supporters in London protest march "Yesterday, Mr Assange was handcuffed 11 times, stripped naked twice at Belmarsh and put in five separate holding cells," his lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said on Tuesday. He warned that Assange's treatment could "impinge on these proceedings" and asked judge Vanessa Baraitser to give "an indication to prison authorities" that the regime should be relaxed. × Baraitser said it was a matter for prison officials, saying she did not have the authority to instruct them on how to treat detainees. She added that she would expect Assange to be treated fairly and like anyone else. The 48-year-old Australian is being held at the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London during the extradition process. His full extradition hearing, which opened on Monday, is taking place at the court buildings next to the jail. Assange wore a grey blazer and a sweater over a collared shirt in court. × He occasionally spoke to his lawyers through the gaps in the glass panels of the dock. Assange spent much of the past decade holed up in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid separate legal proceedings in Sweden, but Washington is now seeking his transfer to stand trial. WikiLeaks initially worked with a string of high-profile newspapers to publish details from the leaked State Department and Pentagon files, which caused a sensation -- and outrage in Washington. On Monday, a lawyer for the United States accused him of risking the lives of intelligence sources by publishing classified US government documents. Fitzgerald has argued that the US charges are "politically motivated". Assange could be jailed for 175 years if convicted on all 17 Espionage Act charges and one count of computer hacking that he faces. The hearings will last all week then reconvene in May

Lawyer to court: Julian Assange stripped naked and handcuffed

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a British court by videolink from prison on Wednesday where lawyers discussed the timetable of his hearing next week to decide whether he should be extradited to the United States.

Assange, 48, who spent seven years holed up in Ecuador's embassy before he was dragged out last April, is wanted in the United States to face 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades behind bars if convicted there.

Almost a decade after his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking secret U.S. documents, Woolwich Crown Court in London will begin hearings on Monday - with Assange present in person - to decide whether he should be sent to the United States.

Appearing at a lower court on Wednesday via videolink from Belmarsh high-security prison, Assange spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

The judge discussed with defence and prosecution the timing of when arguments will be made.

Assange appeared relaxed and spent much of the hearing reading notes in his lap. He wore two pairs of glasses: one on top of his head and another which he took on and off and twiddled in his hands.

Australian-born Assange made global headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

WikiLeaks later angered the United States by publishing caches of leaked military documents and diplomatic cables.

The full extradition hearing will be split in two parts, with the second half delayed until May.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a British court by videolink from prison on Wednesday where lawyers discussed the timetable of his hearing next week to decide whether he should be extradited to the United States.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a British court by videolink from prison on Wednesday where lawyers discussed the timetable of his hearing next week to decide whether he should be extradited to the United States. Assange, 48, who spent seven years holed up in Ecuador's embassy before he was dragged out last April, is wanted in the United States to face 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades behind bars if convicted there. Almost a decade after his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking secret U.S. documents, Woolwich Crown Court in London will begin hearings on Monday - with Assange present in person - to decide whether he should be sent to the United States. Appearing at a lower court on Wednesday via videolink from Belmarsh high-security prison, Assange spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. The judge discussed with defence and prosecution the timing of when arguments will be made. Assange appeared relaxed and spent much of the hearing reading notes in his lap. He wore two pairs of glasses: one on top of his head and another which he took on and off and twiddled in his hands. Australian-born Assange made global headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. WikiLeaks later angered the United States by publishing caches of leaked military documents and diplomatic cables. The full extradition hearing will be split in two parts, with the second half delayed until May.

Wikileaks' Assange in court ahead of US extradition hearing next week

WikiLeaks founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-doctors-claim-julian-assange-is-being-psychologically-tortured-281313">Julian Assange</a> is no longer being held in solitary confinement and his health is improving, his colleague and spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-doctors-claim-julian-assange-is-being-psychologically-tortured-281313">Assange</a>, 48, is in prison in London, fighting an extradition request from the United States, where he faces 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law.

His supporters had expressed concern about the state of his health after he appeared confused during a court hearing in October, struggling to recall his age and name and saying he was unable to think properly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-doctors-claim-julian-assange-is-being-psychologically-tortured-281313">Doctors claim Julian Assange is being 'psychologically tortured'</a>

"I saw him about 10 days ago. He has improved thanks to the pressure from his legal team, the general public, and amazingly, actually from other inmates in Belmarsh Prison to get him out of isolation," Hrafnsson told a news conference ahead of an extradition hearing that starts next week.

The Australian-born <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-doctors-claim-julian-assange-is-being-psychologically-tortured-281313">Assange </a>made global headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US&nbsp;military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

WikiLeaks later angered the United States by publishing caches of leaked military documents and diplomatic cables.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/julian-assange-heroic-whistleblower-now-battles-rape-allegation-218445">Julian Assange: Heroic Whistleblower now battles rape allegation</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/julian-assange-heroic-whistleblower-now-battles-rape-allegation-218445">Assange </a>has consistently said that his legal travails were politically motivated, presenting himself as a champion of free speech who was being persecuted for exposing abuses of power. But his critics paint him as a dangerous figure complicit in Russian efforts to undermine the West.

He fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning about allegations of sex crimes which have since been dropped. He spent seven years holed up in the embassy, until Ecuador decided to stop giving him refuge. He was dragged out in May 2019.

His father, John Shipton, said Assange's long confinement indoors had damaged his health.

"The ceaseless anxiety that Julian's been under for now 10 years has had a profoundly deleterious effect," he told BBC television on Tuesday.

"I imagine that he will be really worried because being sent to the United States is a death sentence."

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is no longer being held in solitary confinement and his health is improving, his colleague and spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters on Tuesday.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is no longer being held in solitary confinement and his health is improving, his colleague and spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters on Tuesday. Assange, 48, is in prison in London, fighting an extradition request from the United States, where he faces 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. His supporters had expressed concern about the state of his health after he appeared confused during a court hearing in October, struggling to recall his age and name and saying he was unable to think properly. Also read: Doctors claim Julian Assange is being 'psychologically tortured' "I saw him about 10 days ago. He has improved thanks to the pressure from his legal team, the general public, and amazingly, actually from other inmates in Belmarsh Prison to get him out of isolation," Hrafnsson told a news conference ahead of an extradition hearing that starts next week. The Australian-born Assange made global headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. WikiLeaks later angered the United States by publishing caches of leaked military documents and diplomatic cables. Also see: Julian Assange: Heroic Whistleblower now battles rape allegation Assange has consistently said that his legal travails were politically motivated, presenting himself as a champion of free speech who was being persecuted for exposing abuses of power. But his critics paint him as a dangerous figure complicit in Russian efforts to undermine the West. He fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning about allegations of sex crimes which have since been dropped. He spent seven years holed up in the embassy, until Ecuador decided to stop giving him refuge. He was dragged out in May 2019. His father, John Shipton, said Assange's long confinement indoors had damaged his health. "The ceaseless anxiety that Julian's been under for now 10 years has had a profoundly deleterious effect," he told BBC television on Tuesday. "I imagine that he will be really worried because being sent to the United States is a death sentence."

Wikileaks founder Assange's health improving in prison: Spokesman

It may be the sign of the times! The last free bastion in the online world may be falling to the paywall.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-has-wikipedia-changed-our-lives-274429">Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15 - How it changed our lives &amp; the world</a>

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia today made a "humble" plea to its readers asking for money in a bid to raise funds.

<img alt="wikipedia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ccb5df53-baca-4a9c-bcbd-1034cdaa39f6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2810%29_19.jpg" />

It said on its site: "We depend on donations averaging about ₹1,000, but 98% of our readers don’t give. If everyone reading this gave ₹150, the price of a box of tea, we could keep Wikipedia thriving for years to come."

The site which depends on volunteers to write &amp;&nbsp;edit with its open editing system said that being a non-profit organization "people warned us we'd regret it. But if <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-blocks-access-to-wikipedia-bans-tv-dating-shows-15069">Wikipedia</a> became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-china-blocks-all-language-editions-of-wikipedia-218956">Also Read:&nbsp;Now, China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia</a>

"It's a little awkward, so we'll get straight to the point: This Wednesday we humbly ask you to defend Wikipedia's independence."&nbsp;

The board on top of its page clearly stated that the site runs due to "a community of people" working to bring unlimited access to reliable, neutral information. &nbsp;"We ask you, humbly, to help," it said.

Although it is still a "plea" to readers but it came as surprise to many&nbsp;with the site coming openly "straight to the point".

The company has put up various&nbsp;price bands of Rs 150 to Rs 5,000 which readers can volunteer to give through online payment, with an "other" button in which a user can give an unspecified amount.

"When we made Wikipedia a non-profit, people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world. Wikipedia unites all of us who love knowledge: contributors, readers, and the donors who keep us thriving," it said.

The site which was founded in 2001 has grown to become a pillar of the free economy on the Internet with millions who depend on it each day. It publishes content in several languages including Catalan, Swedish, German, French,&nbsp;Portuguese among several others.

It also hosts its content on the mobile app and has free online courses, travel guides, speech directories among other documents which keeps users hooked to the site for hours.&nbsp;

It may be the sign of the times! The last free bastion in the online world may be falling to the paywall. Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15 - How it changed our lives & the world Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia today made a "humble" plea to its readers asking for money in a bid to raise funds.

It may be the sign of the times! The last free bastion in the online world may be falling to the paywall. Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15 - How it changed our lives & the world Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia today made a "humble" plea to its readers asking for money in a bid to raise funds. It said on its site: "We depend on donations averaging about ₹1,000, but 98% of our readers don’t give. If everyone reading this gave ₹150, the price of a box of tea, we could keep Wikipedia thriving for years to come." The site which depends on volunteers to write & edit with its open editing system said that being a non-profit organization "people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world." Also Read: Now, China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia "It's a little awkward, so we'll get straight to the point: This Wednesday we humbly ask you to defend Wikipedia's independence." The board on top of its page clearly stated that the site runs due to "a community of people" working to bring unlimited access to reliable, neutral information. "We ask you, humbly, to help," it said. Although it is still a "plea" to readers but it came as surprise to many with the site coming openly "straight to the point". The company has put up various price bands of Rs 150 to Rs 5,000 which readers can volunteer to give through online payment, with an "other" button in which a user can give an unspecified amount. "When we made Wikipedia a non-profit, people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world. Wikipedia unites all of us who love knowledge: contributors, readers, and the donors who keep us thriving," it said. The site which was founded in 2001 has grown to become a pillar of the free economy on the Internet with millions who depend on it each day. It publishes content in several languages including Catalan, Swedish, German, French, Portuguese among several others. It also hosts its content on the mobile app and has free online courses, travel guides, speech directories among other documents which keeps users hooked to the site for hours.

Is the pay wall coming? Wikipedia makes 'humble' plea to users to pay to 'defend independence'

A Swedish prosecutor dropped a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, ending the nearly decade-old case that had sent the anti-secrecy campaigner into hiding in London's Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition.

Swedish Court drops rape investigation on WikiLeaks founder after 10 years

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad.

A lawyer for Stone countered in his closing argument that this purported motive lacked all "common sense" because Trump had already been elected president by the time Stone testified to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in September 2017.

By then, attorney Bruce Rogow said, the campaign was "long since over."

"Why would he make stuff up? Why would he volunteer to testify? Why would Stone produce documents?" he asked.

Stone, 67, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements in testimony during the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;elections.

"Roger Stone knew if this information came out, it would look really bad for his longtime associate Donald Trump, so he lied to the committee," prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told the jury in federal court in Washington.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Stone is a political strategist. He knows how this is going to look."

The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Thursday.

Prosecutors accused Stone of telling lawmakers five different lies related to WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released a series of damaging emails about Trump's Democratic election rival Clinton that US&nbsp;intelligence officials and Special Counsel Robert Mueller later concluded had been stolen by Russian hackers.

Some of those lies relate to the existence of certain texts or emails, while others pertain to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a supposed "intermediary" with WikiLeaks in early August 2016 whom Stone identified to lawmakers as being comedian Randy Credico.

Prosecutors said that Stone did not actually start talking to Credico about WikiLeaks until later that month, and the actual person to whom he was referring in testimony as an "intermediary" was conservative author Jerome Corsi whom Stone dispatched in an email to "Get to Assange!" and get the emails.

Kravis showed the jury a chart suggesting Stone and Credico had exchanged more than 1,500 messages, despite testimony by Stone that no such communications existed.

"No text messages? Not an email guy? Are you kidding me?" Kravis said.

Stone is also accused of tampering with Credico when he was subpoenaed by the committee and later interviewed by the FBI.

He also repeatedly urged Credico to "do a Frank Pentangeli" - a reference to a character in "The Godfather Part II" who recants his congressional testimony against a mobster amid intimidation.

"That is witness tampering, plain and simple," Kravis said.

Rogow dismissed the Pentangeli reference, saying Credico had done impressions of the character in the past and said the "odious language" they used was just part of how they interacted.

The trial has featured testimony from high-profile political figures including former Trump campaign CEO and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, and former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates.

Both testified they had spoken with Stone before and during the campaign about WikiLeaks, and they believed he had some insider information about WikiLeaks' Clinton email dump.

Gates testified that he overheard a phone conversation in late July 2016 between Trump and Stone that appeared to be about WikiLeaks, because after the call ended, Trump said that more information would be coming out soon. Stone's lawyer countered that the government had not presented any solid evidence about what was said on this call.

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad.

Prosecutors delivered closing arguments in the trial of US President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone on Wednesday, saying the Republican operative lied to Congress about his efforts to keep abreast of when WikiLeaks might dump damaging emails on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign because he knew it would make Trump look bad. A lawyer for Stone countered in his closing argument that this purported motive lacked all "common sense" because Trump had already been elected president by the time Stone testified to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in September 2017. By then, attorney Bruce Rogow said, the campaign was "long since over." "Why would he make stuff up? Why would he volunteer to testify? Why would Stone produce documents?" he asked. Stone, 67, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements in testimony during the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. "Roger Stone knew if this information came out, it would look really bad for his longtime associate Donald Trump, so he lied to the committee," prosecutor Jonathan Kravis told the jury in federal court in Washington. "Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Stone is a political strategist. He knows how this is going to look." The jury is expected to begin its deliberations on Thursday. Prosecutors accused Stone of telling lawmakers five different lies related to WikiLeaks website and its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks released a series of damaging emails about Trump's Democratic election rival Clinton that US intelligence officials and Special Counsel Robert Mueller later concluded had been stolen by Russian hackers. Some of those lies relate to the existence of certain texts or emails, while others pertain to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a supposed "intermediary" with WikiLeaks in early August 2016 whom Stone identified to lawmakers as being comedian Randy Credico. Prosecutors said that Stone did not actually start talking to Credico about WikiLeaks until later that month, and the actual person to whom he was referring in testimony as an "intermediary" was conservative author Jerome Corsi whom Stone dispatched in an email to "Get to Assange!" and get the emails. Kravis showed the jury a chart suggesting Stone and Credico had exchanged more than 1,500 messages, despite testimony by Stone that no such communications existed. "No text messages? Not an email guy? Are you kidding me?" Kravis said. Stone is also accused of tampering with Credico when he was subpoenaed by the committee and later interviewed by the FBI. He also repeatedly urged Credico to "do a Frank Pentangeli" - a reference to a character in "The Godfather Part II" who recants his congressional testimony against a mobster amid intimidation. "That is witness tampering, plain and simple," Kravis said. Rogow dismissed the Pentangeli reference, saying Credico had done impressions of the character in the past and said the "odious language" they used was just part of how they interacted. The trial has featured testimony from high-profile political figures including former Trump campaign CEO and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, and former Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates. Both testified they had spoken with Stone before and during the campaign about WikiLeaks, and they believed he had some insider information about WikiLeaks' Clinton email dump. Gates testified that he overheard a phone conversation in late July 2016 between Trump and Stone that appeared to be about WikiLeaks, because after the call ended, Trump said that more information would be coming out soon. Stone's lawyer countered that the government had not presented any solid evidence about what was said on this call.

Roger Stone trial closes with dueling versions of motives in 2016 Trump campaign

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was keen to keep abreast of the release of emails potentially damaging to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, reaching all the way to Trump himself, the Republican's former deputy campaign chairman testified in court on Tuesday.

Rick Gates, testifying in the criminal trial in federal court in Washington of Trump's longtime political adviser Roger Stone, said he witnessed a call between Trump and Stone related to the WikiLeaks website in late July 2016.

WikiLeaks disclosed several batches of stolen emails in the months before the November election that damaged Clinton. US&nbsp;intelligence agencies and Special Counsel <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-mueller-testimony-on-russia-meddling-investigation-postponed-reports-235395">Robert Muller</a> later concluded they had been stolen by Russian hackers.

Although Gates acknowledged he could not hear the contents of the call between then-candidate Trump and Stone as they were driving to LaGuardia Airport in New York City, he said that within 30 seconds or so of Trump hanging up, Trump said that "more information would be coming," in an apparent reference to WikiLeaks.

The testimony by Gates, who appeared under a cooperation agreement, could potentially hurt Stone as he faces charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the US&nbsp;House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in its investigation into Russian interference in the election. Stone has pleaded not guilty.

The testimony also appears to conflict with sworn statements that Trump gave Mueller, in which the president wrote that he had "no recollection of the specifics of any conversation" with Stone from June 1, 2016 through November 8, 2016 and that he could "not recall discussing WikiLeaks" with Stone.

Both the government and Stone's defence team rested their cases on Tuesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, followed by jury deliberations.

Stone, a longtime Republican operative and self-proclaimed "dirty trickster," is accused of telling Congress five lies related to WikiLeaks.

One such allegation is whether Stone misled the committee in September 2017 by stating that he never spoke to Trump campaign officials about what he was hearing through an intermediary about WikiLeaks or the website's founder, Julian Assange.

Another allegation relates to claims Stone made that comedian Randy Credico was his intermediary with WikiLeaks. Prosecutors said Stone was not talking to Credico about WikiLeaks in the summer of 2016, but rather, he was speaking to conservative author named Jerome Corsi, whom Stone instructed in one email to "get to Assange!" and learn when the Clinton emails would be coming out.

Credico testified during the trial he never actually spoke to Assange on Stone's behalf, but at times pretended he would in order to get Stone off his back.

Gates' testimony on Tuesday offered a window into the Trump campaign's thinking on WikiLeaks, and appeared to align with testimony that former Trump campaign chief executive and ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon gave on Friday when Bannon said the campaign saw Stone as an "access point" to WikiLeaks.

Gates said Stone had spoken to him as early as spring 2016 about an expectation that "information would be coming out" from WikiLeaks.

He said he thought that Stone knew this through non-public information and that top campaign officials including Gates, then-campaign manager Paul Manafort and aides Jason Miller and Stephen Miller held brainstorming sessions based “in part on Mr. Stone’s predictions” about WikiLeaks' plans.

At first, those predictions did not pan out. But when WikiLeaks finally dumped a batch of emails on July 22, 2016, the campaign was elated.

"It was, in a way, a gift," Gates said.

Gates pled guilty last year to charges arising from Mueller's investigation.

In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said the testimony by Gates - who also testified last year against Manafort in a trial in which Manafort was convicted and sent to prison for 7-1/2 years - will conclude his cooperation with the government, and they asked a judge to set a mid-December sentencing date.

Stone's attorneys tried to discredit Gates on Tuesday by repeatedly asking him about the crimes he committed with Manafort.

Later, they also filed a motion with the judge asking her to acquit Stone on charges of lying to Congress, saying the government had failed to prove that Stone actually had any intermediary with WikiLeaks. The judge has not yet ruled.

Stone's attorneys also say that his testimony fell into line with the parameters of the committee's investigation into Russian interference and that the scope of the probe in Stone's mind did not include WikiLeaks or Julian Assange.

In Stone's defence, his attorneys played the jury a roughly 50 minute-long audio tape of Stone's closed-door testimony to the committee, introduced some documents into evidence and rested their case without calling any witnesses.

US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was keen to keep abreast of the release of emails potentially damaging to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, reaching all the way to Trump himself, the Republican's former deputy campaign chairman testified in court on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was keen to keep abreast of the release of emails potentially damaging to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, reaching all the way to Trump himself, the Republican's former deputy campaign chairman testified in court on Tuesday. Rick Gates, testifying in the criminal trial in federal court in Washington of Trump's longtime political adviser Roger Stone, said he witnessed a call between Trump and Stone related to the WikiLeaks website in late July 2016. WikiLeaks disclosed several batches of stolen emails in the months before the November election that damaged Clinton. US intelligence agencies and Special Counsel Robert Muller later concluded they had been stolen by Russian hackers. Although Gates acknowledged he could not hear the contents of the call between then-candidate Trump and Stone as they were driving to LaGuardia Airport in New York City, he said that within 30 seconds or so of Trump hanging up, Trump said that "more information would be coming," in an apparent reference to WikiLeaks. The testimony by Gates, who appeared under a cooperation agreement, could potentially hurt Stone as he faces charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in its investigation into Russian interference in the election. Stone has pleaded not guilty. The testimony also appears to conflict with sworn statements that Trump gave Mueller, in which the president wrote that he had "no recollection of the specifics of any conversation" with Stone from June 1, 2016 through November 8, 2016 and that he could "not recall discussing WikiLeaks" with Stone. Both the government and Stone's defence team rested their cases on Tuesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for 1 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, followed by jury deliberations. Stone, a longtime Republican operative and self-proclaimed "dirty trickster," is accused of telling Congress five lies related to WikiLeaks. One such allegation is whether Stone misled the committee in September 2017 by stating that he never spoke to Trump campaign officials about what he was hearing through an intermediary about WikiLeaks or the website's founder, Julian Assange. Another allegation relates to claims Stone made that comedian Randy Credico was his intermediary with WikiLeaks. Prosecutors said Stone was not talking to Credico about WikiLeaks in the summer of 2016, but rather, he was speaking to conservative author named Jerome Corsi, whom Stone instructed in one email to "get to Assange!" and learn when the Clinton emails would be coming out. Credico testified during the trial he never actually spoke to Assange on Stone's behalf, but at times pretended he would in order to get Stone off his back. Gates' testimony on Tuesday offered a window into the Trump campaign's thinking on WikiLeaks, and appeared to align with testimony that former Trump campaign chief executive and ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon gave on Friday when Bannon said the campaign saw Stone as an "access point" to WikiLeaks. Gates said Stone had spoken to him as early as spring 2016 about an expectation that "information would be coming out" from WikiLeaks. He said he thought that Stone knew this through non-public information and that top campaign officials including Gates, then-campaign manager Paul Manafort and aides Jason Miller and Stephen Miller held brainstorming sessions based “in part on Mr. Stone’s predictions” about WikiLeaks' plans. At first, those predictions did not pan out. But when WikiLeaks finally dumped a batch of emails on July 22, 2016, the campaign was elated. "It was, in a way, a gift," Gates said. Gates pled guilty last year to charges arising from Mueller's investigation. In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said the testimony by Gates - who also testified last year against Manafort in a trial in which Manafort was convicted and sent to prison for 7-1/2 years - will conclude his cooperation with the government, and they asked a judge to set a mid-December sentencing date. Stone's attorneys tried to discredit Gates on Tuesday by repeatedly asking him about the crimes he committed with Manafort. Later, they also filed a motion with the judge asking her to acquit Stone on charges of lying to Congress, saying the government had failed to prove that Stone actually had any intermediary with WikiLeaks. The judge has not yet ruled. Stone's attorneys also say that his testimony fell into line with the parameters of the committee's investigation into Russian interference and that the scope of the probe in Stone's mind did not include WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. In Stone's defence, his attorneys played the jury a roughly 50 minute-long audio tape of Stone's closed-door testimony to the committee, introduced some documents into evidence and rested their case without calling any witnesses.

Trump campaign wanted updates on 2016 WikiLeaks releases on Clinton - Ex-aide testifies

The treatment of WikiLeaks founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-denied-delay-to-extradition-hearing-by-london-judge-257361">Julian Assange</a>, who is facing the threat of extradition from Britain to the US on espionage charges, is putting his life "at risk", an independent UN rights expert said Friday.

"Unless the UK urgently changes course and alleviates his inhumane situation, Mr. Assange's continued exposure to arbitrariness and abuse may soon end up costing his life," the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Nils Melzer, said in a statement.

Melzer, who visited the 48-year-old Australian whistleblower in a London prison on May 9, nearly a month after his arrest at Ecuador's embassy where he had been holed up for seven years, has previously warned he was being subjected to drawn-out "psychological torture".

A spokesperson told AFP that the independent expert, who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations, had not met Assange since then but had received "updates" about his condition.

Friday's statement warned that Assange's health had continued to deteriorate since his arrest, stressing that "his life was now at risk."

In the statement, Melzer pointed out that in May he had demanded immediate measures to protect the WikiLeaks founder's health and dignity.

"However, what we have seen from the UK Government is outright contempt for Mr Assange’s rights and integrity," he said.

"Despite the medical urgency of my appeal, and the seriousness of the alleged violations, the UK has not undertaken any measures of investigation, prevention and redress required under international law," he charged.

Assange "continues to be detained under oppressive conditions of isolation and surveillance, not justified by his detention status," he said.

His statement pointed out that Assange had completed his prison sentence for violating his British bail terms in 2012 and was now "being held exclusively in relation to the pending extradition request from the United States."

Assange is facing the extradition request by the US over charges he violated the US Espionage Act by publishing a huge cache of military and diplomatic files in 2010.&nbsp;

"While the US Government prosecutes Mr. Assange for publishing information about serious human rights violations, including torture and murder, the officials responsible for these crimes continue to enjoy impunity," Melzer said.

He also decried that "despite the complexity of the proceedings against him led by the world’s most powerful Government, Mr. Assange's access to legal counsel and documents has been severely obstructed."

This, he said, had effectively undermined "his most fundamental right to prepare his defence."

In his appeal, Melzer urged London to bar <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-founder-assange-remanded-in-jail-after-brief-uk-court-hearing-255303">Assange's</a> extradition to the US, and demanded that "he be promptly released and allowed to recover his health and rebuild his personal and professional life."

The treatment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing the threat of extradition from Britain to the US on espionage charges, is putting his life "at risk", an independent UN rights expert said Friday.

The treatment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing the threat of extradition from Britain to the US on espionage charges, is putting his life "at risk", an independent UN rights expert said Friday. "Unless the UK urgently changes course and alleviates his inhumane situation, Mr. Assange's continued exposure to arbitrariness and abuse may soon end up costing his life," the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Nils Melzer, said in a statement. Melzer, who visited the 48-year-old Australian whistleblower in a London prison on May 9, nearly a month after his arrest at Ecuador's embassy where he had been holed up for seven years, has previously warned he was being subjected to drawn-out "psychological torture". A spokesperson told AFP that the independent expert, who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations, had not met Assange since then but had received "updates" about his condition. Friday's statement warned that Assange's health had continued to deteriorate since his arrest, stressing that "his life was now at risk." In the statement, Melzer pointed out that in May he had demanded immediate measures to protect the WikiLeaks founder's health and dignity. "However, what we have seen from the UK Government is outright contempt for Mr Assange’s rights and integrity," he said. "Despite the medical urgency of my appeal, and the seriousness of the alleged violations, the UK has not undertaken any measures of investigation, prevention and redress required under international law," he charged. Assange "continues to be detained under oppressive conditions of isolation and surveillance, not justified by his detention status," he said. His statement pointed out that Assange had completed his prison sentence for violating his British bail terms in 2012 and was now "being held exclusively in relation to the pending extradition request from the United States." Assange is facing the extradition request by the US over charges he violated the US Espionage Act by publishing a huge cache of military and diplomatic files in 2010. "While the US Government prosecutes Mr. Assange for publishing information about serious human rights violations, including torture and murder, the officials responsible for these crimes continue to enjoy impunity," Melzer said. He also decried that "despite the complexity of the proceedings against him led by the world’s most powerful Government, Mr. Assange's access to legal counsel and documents has been severely obstructed." This, he said, had effectively undermined "his most fundamental right to prepare his defence." In his appeal, Melzer urged London to bar Assange's extradition to the US, and demanded that "he be promptly released and allowed to recover his health and rebuild his personal and professional life."

Treatment of Assange putting his life 'at risk': United Nations expert

WikiLeaks'&nbsp;founder Julian Assange was remanded in custody on Friday after a brief hearing in a London court which will decide whether he should be extradited to the United States to face spying charges.

Assange, 48,<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-announces-17-new-espionage-charges-against-wikileaks-julian-assange-221127"> faces 18 counts in the US</a>&nbsp;including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted.

Appearing by video link from Belmarsh Prison in east London, Assange, bearded and wearing a purple sweatshirt, spoke only to confirm his name and age before he was remanded in prison until his next hearing later this month.

"I very much hope we can make some progress on this case," Judge Tam Ikram told him at the end of the five-minute hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates'&nbsp;Court.

Australian-born Assange came to prominence when WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, angering Washington which said he had put lives at risk.

In 2012, he took refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was accused of sex crimes which he denied, saying he believed he would ultimately be sent on to the United States.

He was dragged from the embassy in April after seven years and given a 50-week jail term for skipping bail. That sentence was completed last month but he remains in prison while his extradition case continues.

He is due to appear in court again, this time in person, on October&nbsp;21 with the full extradition hearing due to start on February&nbsp;25 next year.

WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange was remanded in custody on Friday after a brief hearing in a London court which will decide whether he should be extradited to the United States to face spying charges.

WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange was remanded in custody on Friday after a brief hearing in a London court which will decide whether he should be extradited to the United States to face spying charges. Assange, 48, faces 18 counts in the US including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted. Appearing by video link from Belmarsh Prison in east London, Assange, bearded and wearing a purple sweatshirt, spoke only to confirm his name and age before he was remanded in prison until his next hearing later this month. "I very much hope we can make some progress on this case," Judge Tam Ikram told him at the end of the five-minute hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court. Australian-born Assange came to prominence when WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, angering Washington which said he had put lives at risk. In 2012, he took refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was accused of sex crimes which he denied, saying he believed he would ultimately be sent on to the United States. He was dragged from the embassy in April after seven years and given a 50-week jail term for skipping bail. That sentence was completed last month but he remains in prison while his extradition case continues. He is due to appear in court again, this time in person, on October 21 with the full extradition hearing due to start on February 25 next year.

WikiLeaks founder Assange remanded in jail after brief UK court hearing

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-iran-written-all-over-tanker-attacks-227168">US President Trump says Iran 'written all over' tanker attacks</a>

'Iran did do it,' Trump said in an interview on "Fox and Friends," after the US military released footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-set-to-levy-higher-tariffs-on-some-us-goods-next-week-sources-227113">India set to levy higher tariffs on some US goods next week: Sources</a> 
 
India is by far the largest buyer of US almonds and second largest buyer of US apples

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-judge-sets-february-2020-for-wikileaks-founder-assanges-extradition-hearing-227139">UK judge sets February 2020 for WikiLeaks founder Assange's US extradition hearing</a> 
 
Assange, 47, is accused of violating the Espionage Act by releasing a vast trove of classified military and diplomatic files in 2010 about US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-meeting-with-imran-khan-xi-offers-support-for-improvement-of-indo-pak-ties-227159">In meeting with Imran Khan, Xi offers support for improvement of Indo-Pak ties</a> 
 
Modi did not meet Khan on the sidelines of the SCO summit, spurning Pakistan Prime Minister's suggestion for a bilateral meeting in Bishkek.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/apology-from-mamata-banerjee-among-6-demands-put-forth-by-agitating-west-bengal-doctors-227140">Apology from Mamata Banerjee among 6 demands put forth by agitating West Bengal doctors&nbsp;</a> 
 
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared an All India Protest Day Friday in the wake of violence against doctors in Kolkata.

US President Trump says Iran 'written all over' tanker attacks 'Iran did do it,' Trump said in an interview on "Fox and Friends," after the US military released footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers.

US President Trump says Iran 'written all over' tanker attacks 'Iran did do it,' Trump said in an interview on "Fox and Friends," after the US military released footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers. India set to levy higher tariffs on some US goods next week: Sources India is by far the largest buyer of US almonds and second largest buyer of US apples UK judge sets February 2020 for WikiLeaks founder Assange's US extradition hearing Assange, 47, is accused of violating the Espionage Act by releasing a vast trove of classified military and diplomatic files in 2010 about US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. In meeting with Imran Khan, Xi offers support for improvement of Indo-Pak ties Modi did not meet Khan on the sidelines of the SCO summit, spurning Pakistan Prime Minister's suggestion for a bilateral meeting in Bishkek. Apology from Mamata Banerjee among 6 demands put forth by agitating West Bengal doctors The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared an All India Protest Day Friday in the wake of violence against doctors in Kolkata.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The US Justice Department has formally asked Britain to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face charges that he conspired to hack US government computers and violated an espionage law, the UK has confirmed.

"Mr Assange was arrested in relation to a provisional extradition request from the United States of America. He is accused of offences including computer misuse and the unauthorized disclosure of national defence information," a spokesperson for the Home Office, Britain's internal security department said.

"We have now received the full extradition request," the official told.

Lawyers for Assange had no immediate comment.

US and British security sources said US prosecutors sent the formal extradition request to UK authorities last week, shortly before the expiration of a legal deadline. The formal submission of the request was first reported on Tuesday by the Washington Post.

On April 11, police forcibly removed the WikiLeaks founder from the Ecuadorean Embassy near Harrods department store in central London. Assange took refuge in the embassy there in 2012 while being sought by Swedish authorities for questioning in a sexual assault investigation.

Sources familiar with the US extradition request said that it is based on an indictment federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia filed against Assange in May. That indictment added 17 criminal counts to an earlier indictment, filed under seal in March 2018.

The new charges include violation of a US espionage statute. The previous indictment alleged that Assange conspired with former US soldier Chelsea Manning to hack into a US government computer system.

Manning was arrested and convicted by military court-martial for leaking hundreds of thousands of US government reports to WikiLeaks. But her 35-year prison term was reduced to seven years by President Barack Obama and she was released from custody.

However, Manning has now been jailed for refusing to testify before a Virginia-based federal grand jury which is continuing to investigate WikiLeaks. She faces potential daily fines if she continues to refuse to testify.

After his removal from the Ecuadorean Embassy, Assange was jailed by a British court for 50 weeks for jumping bail while being sought by Swedish authorities in the sexual assault case.

Britain will now consider the US extradition request and any possible new request from Sweden. A European government source familiar with British extradition procedures said it could take anywhere from two to five years for the US request for Assange's extradition to be resolved.

The US Justice Department has formally asked Britain to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face charges that he conspired to hack US government computers and violated an espionage law, the UK has confirmed.

The US Justice Department has formally asked Britain to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face charges that he conspired to hack US government computers and violated an espionage law, the UK has confirmed. "Mr Assange was arrested in relation to a provisional extradition request from the United States of America. He is accused of offences including computer misuse and the unauthorized disclosure of national defence information," a spokesperson for the Home Office, Britain's internal security department said. "We have now received the full extradition request," the official told. Lawyers for Assange had no immediate comment. US and British security sources said US prosecutors sent the formal extradition request to UK authorities last week, shortly before the expiration of a legal deadline. The formal submission of the request was first reported on Tuesday by the Washington Post. On April 11, police forcibly removed the WikiLeaks founder from the Ecuadorean Embassy near Harrods department store in central London. Assange took refuge in the embassy there in 2012 while being sought by Swedish authorities for questioning in a sexual assault investigation. Sources familiar with the US extradition request said that it is based on an indictment federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia filed against Assange in May. That indictment added 17 criminal counts to an earlier indictment, filed under seal in March 2018. The new charges include violation of a US espionage statute. The previous indictment alleged that Assange conspired with former US soldier Chelsea Manning to hack into a US government computer system. Manning was arrested and convicted by military court-martial for leaking hundreds of thousands of US government reports to WikiLeaks. But her 35-year prison term was reduced to seven years by President Barack Obama and she was released from custody. However, Manning has now been jailed for refusing to testify before a Virginia-based federal grand jury which is continuing to investigate WikiLeaks. She faces potential daily fines if she continues to refuse to testify. After his removal from the Ecuadorean Embassy, Assange was jailed by a British court for 50 weeks for jumping bail while being sought by Swedish authorities in the sexual assault case. Britain will now consider the US extradition request and any possible new request from Sweden. A European government source familiar with British extradition procedures said it could take anywhere from two to five years for the US request for Assange's extradition to be resolved.

US formally asks UK to extradite WikiLeaks' Assange

The United States will detail all the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange when it seeks his extradition in a London court on Friday, the editor of the whistleblowers' website said on Tuesday.

"The American authorities, the Department of Justice, will present the evidence in support of their extradition demand," Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters.

The US Justice Department confirmed on Tuesday that it had submitted a formal extradition request.

The 47-year-old Australian is not expected to attend Friday's hearing but could take part from prison via video link, although it will be largely procedural.

The "first real confrontation of arguments" in court will not be for several weeks or months, Hrafnsson said.

On the run from extradition to Sweden on accusations of sexual assault, Assange lived inside Ecuador's embassy to London for seven years after being granted asylum.

He was arrested by British police in April after Ecuador finally withdrew his asylum and is now serving a 50-week prison sentence for violating his bail conditions.

The US has accused Assange of violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010.

The 18 charges against Assange reject his claim he was simply a publisher receiving leaked material -- which would be protected under press freedom legislation.

Hrafnsson said the charges were "very revealing about the nature of this entire case".

He said the Espionage Act was part of an "archaic legal framework... and has never been used against a publisher and a journalist".

"It's an indication of the watershed moment that we are now seeing in the attack on journalism," he said.

Detained at London's Belmarsh high-security prison, Assange has been transferred to a medical unit due to concerns about his health.

He received a visit on Tuesday from his father, John Shipton, and the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, Britain's Press Association reported.

The United States will detail all the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange when it seeks his extradition in a London court on Friday, the editor of the whistleblowers' website said on Tuesday.

The United States will detail all the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange when it seeks his extradition in a London court on Friday, the editor of the whistleblowers' website said on Tuesday. "The American authorities, the Department of Justice, will present the evidence in support of their extradition demand," Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters. The US Justice Department confirmed on Tuesday that it had submitted a formal extradition request. The 47-year-old Australian is not expected to attend Friday's hearing but could take part from prison via video link, although it will be largely procedural. The "first real confrontation of arguments" in court will not be for several weeks or months, Hrafnsson said. On the run from extradition to Sweden on accusations of sexual assault, Assange lived inside Ecuador's embassy to London for seven years after being granted asylum. He was arrested by British police in April after Ecuador finally withdrew his asylum and is now serving a 50-week prison sentence for violating his bail conditions. The US has accused Assange of violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010. The 18 charges against Assange reject his claim he was simply a publisher receiving leaked material -- which would be protected under press freedom legislation. Hrafnsson said the charges were "very revealing about the nature of this entire case". He said the Espionage Act was part of an "archaic legal framework... and has never been used against a publisher and a journalist". "It's an indication of the watershed moment that we are now seeing in the attack on journalism," he said. Detained at London's Belmarsh high-security prison, Assange has been transferred to a medical unit due to concerns about his health. He received a visit on Tuesday from his father, John Shipton, and the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, Britain's Press Association reported.

US charges against Julian Assange to be unveiled on Friday

A Swedish court on Monday has rejected a request to detain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-assange-suffering-from-psychological-torture-un-rights-expert-223140">Julian Assange</a> over a 2010 rape case, dashing the prosecutor's hopes of having him swiftly extradited from Britain.

The Uppsala district court said that while it considered the WikiLeaks founder "a suspect" in the case, the fact that Assange was currently in prison in Britain meant he does not need to be formally detained in Sweden to be questioned by Swedish prosecutors.

Watch:&nbsp;Swedish prosecutor reopens Julian Assange rape investigation

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/swedish-prosecutor-reopens-julian-assange-rape-investigation-218382/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In the wake of Assange’s arrest, prosecutors in Sweden re-opened a criminal investigation on May 13&nbsp;into allegations that Assange sexually assaulted a woman during a visit to Sweden.

At one point, before his arrest in Britain, Swedish prosecutors charged him with assaulting two women.

Last month, The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-announces-17-new-espionage-charges-against-wikileaks-julian-assange-221127">US Justice Department unveiled 17 new criminal charges</a> against Assange, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Swedish court on Monday has rejected a request to detain Julian Assange over a 2010 rape case, dashing the prosecutor's hopes of having him swiftly extradited from Britain.

A Swedish court on Monday has rejected a request to detain Julian Assange over a 2010 rape case, dashing the prosecutor's hopes of having him swiftly extradited from Britain. The Uppsala district court said that while it considered the WikiLeaks founder "a suspect" in the case, the fact that Assange was currently in prison in Britain meant he does not need to be formally detained in Sweden to be questioned by Swedish prosecutors. Watch: Swedish prosecutor reopens Julian Assange rape investigation In the wake of Assange’s arrest, prosecutors in Sweden re-opened a criminal investigation on May 13 into allegations that Assange sexually assaulted a woman during a visit to Sweden. At one point, before his arrest in Britain, Swedish prosecutors charged him with assaulting two women. Last month, The US Justice Department unveiled 17 new criminal charges against Assange, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. (With inputs from agencies)

Swedish court rejects request to detain WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over 2010 rape case

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-announces-17-new-espionage-charges-against-wikileaks-julian-assange-221127">WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange </a>has suffered "psychological torture" from a defamation campaign against him by the media, judges and senior political figures, a United Nations human rights investigator said on Friday.

Nils Melzer, the UN special rapporteur on torture who visited Assange in a high-security London prison on May 9, voiced concern at fresh US&nbsp;criminal charges laid against Assange and reiterated a call for him not to be extradited.

Assange was too ill on Thursday to appear via video link from a British prison in a hearing on an extradition request from the United States, his lawyer Gareth Peirce told Reuters. He is in a health ward.

"Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture," Melzer said in a statement.

The Swiss law professor, an independent expert, was accompanied on the prison visit by two medical experts specialised in examining potential victims of torture and other ill-treatment, the statement said. They spoke with Assange in private and conducted a "thorough medical assessment".

"It was obvious that Mr. Assange`s health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years," Melzer said.&nbsp;

"In addition to physical ailments, Mr. Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma."

The United States is seeking the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London on April 11 after his seven-year asylum was revoked, for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information.

The Australian, now 47, had skipped bail and taken refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault investigation that was later dropped. Sweden reopened the investigation in early May. Assange denies the rape allegation.

The United States has charged Assange with espionage, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. He faces 18 US&nbsp;criminal counts and decades in prison if convicted.

"My most urgent concern is that, in the United States, Mr. Assange would be exposed to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," Melzer said.

Assange made international headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

"Since (2010), there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr. Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, Ecuador," Melzer said, pointing to the press and social media, and unnamed senior political figures and judicial magistrates involved in the case.&nbsp;

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suffered "psychological torture" from a defamation campaign against him by the media, judges and senior political figures, a United Nations human rights investigator said on Friday.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suffered "psychological torture" from a defamation campaign against him by the media, judges and senior political figures, a United Nations human rights investigator said on Friday. Nils Melzer, the UN special rapporteur on torture who visited Assange in a high-security London prison on May 9, voiced concern at fresh US criminal charges laid against Assange and reiterated a call for him not to be extradited. Assange was too ill on Thursday to appear via video link from a British prison in a hearing on an extradition request from the United States, his lawyer Gareth Peirce told Reuters. He is in a health ward. "Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture," Melzer said in a statement. The Swiss law professor, an independent expert, was accompanied on the prison visit by two medical experts specialised in examining potential victims of torture and other ill-treatment, the statement said. They spoke with Assange in private and conducted a "thorough medical assessment". "It was obvious that Mr. Assange`s health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years," Melzer said. "In addition to physical ailments, Mr. Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma." The United States is seeking the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London on April 11 after his seven-year asylum was revoked, for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information. The Australian, now 47, had skipped bail and taken refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault investigation that was later dropped. Sweden reopened the investigation in early May. Assange denies the rape allegation. The United States has charged Assange with espionage, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. He faces 18 US criminal counts and decades in prison if convicted. "My most urgent concern is that, in the United States, Mr. Assange would be exposed to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," Melzer said. Assange made international headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. "Since (2010), there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr. Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, Ecuador," Melzer said, pointing to the press and social media, and unnamed senior political figures and judicial magistrates involved in the case.

WikiLeaks' Assange suffering from 'psychological torture': UN rights expert

The US Justice Department unveiled 17 new criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information.

The superseding indictment comes a little more than a month after the Justice Department unsealed a narrower criminal case against Assange.

Assange was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protest-against-seizure-of-assanges-belongings-220232">initially charged with conspiring with Manning</a> to gain access to a government computer as part of a 2010 leak by WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of US military reports about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He now faces a total of 18 criminal counts, and could face many decades in prison if convicted.

"These unprecedented charges demonstrate the gravity of the threat the criminal prosecution of Julian Assange poses to all journalists in their endeavour to inform the public about actions that have been taken by the US government," said Barry Pollack, an American attorney for Assange.

The Justice Department said that not only did Assange aid and encourage Manning with the theft of classified materials, but he jeopardized the lives of human sources that included Afghans, Iraqis, journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and political dissidents from repressive regimes by publishing their identities.

Law enforcement officials said on Thursday that the State Department had pleaded with Assange not to reveal the identities of such sources, but Wikileaks ignored the warning.

Manning was arrested in May 2010 and convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage in connection with the 2010 Wikileaks disclosures.

President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ex-soldier-and-wikileaks-source-manning-returned-to-jail-for-defying-grand-jury-subpoena-219278">Barack Obama reduced Manning's sentence to 7 years</a> from 35 years, but she is now in jail after repeatedly refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Assange.

Wikileaks describes itself as specialising in the publication of "censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption."

Assange is now fighting extradition to the United States, after Ecuador in April revoked his seven-year asylum in the country's London embassy. He was arrested that day, April 11, by British police as he left the embassy.

He is now serving a 50-week sentence in a London jail for skipping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012.

The decision to charge Assange with espionage crimes is notable and unusual. Most cases involving the theft of classified information have targeted government employees, like Manning, and not the people who publish the information itself.

In the wake of Assange’s arrest, prosecutors in Sweden re-opened a criminal investigation into <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/swedish-prosecutor-requests-julian-assanges-detention-over-rape-allegation-220098">allegations that Assange sexually assaulted a woman</a> during a visit to Sweden. At one point, before his arrest in Britain, Swedish prosecutors charged him with assaulting two women.

Swedish authorities recently sent British authorities a fresh request for Assange’s extradition.

The decision regarding which country should have its chance to prosecute him first is now in the hands of Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Britain’s interior security minister.

The Justice Department's quick turnaround with the filing of a more substantial indictment against Assange is not surprising.

Under extradition rules, the United States had only a 60-day window from the date of Assange's arrest in London to add more charges. After that, foreign governments do not generally accept superseding charges.

Watch: 'We need to save his life,' says Pamela Anderson after visiting Julian Assange in London jail 
&nbsp;

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The US Justice Department unveiled 17 new criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information.

The US Justice Department unveiled 17 new criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. The superseding indictment comes a little more than a month after the Justice Department unsealed a narrower criminal case against Assange. Assange was initially charged with conspiring with Manning to gain access to a government computer as part of a 2010 leak by WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of US military reports about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He now faces a total of 18 criminal counts, and could face many decades in prison if convicted. "These unprecedented charges demonstrate the gravity of the threat the criminal prosecution of Julian Assange poses to all journalists in their endeavour to inform the public about actions that have been taken by the US government," said Barry Pollack, an American attorney for Assange. The Justice Department said that not only did Assange aid and encourage Manning with the theft of classified materials, but he jeopardized the lives of human sources that included Afghans, Iraqis, journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and political dissidents from repressive regimes by publishing their identities. Law enforcement officials said on Thursday that the State Department had pleaded with Assange not to reveal the identities of such sources, but Wikileaks ignored the warning. Manning was arrested in May 2010 and convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage in connection with the 2010 Wikileaks disclosures. President Barack Obama reduced Manning's sentence to 7 years from 35 years, but she is now in jail after repeatedly refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Assange. Wikileaks describes itself as specialising in the publication of "censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption." Assange is now fighting extradition to the United States, after Ecuador in April revoked his seven-year asylum in the country's London embassy. He was arrested that day, April 11, by British police as he left the embassy. He is now serving a 50-week sentence in a London jail for skipping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. The decision to charge Assange with espionage crimes is notable and unusual. Most cases involving the theft of classified information have targeted government employees, like Manning, and not the people who publish the information itself. In the wake of Assange’s arrest, prosecutors in Sweden re-opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Assange sexually assaulted a woman during a visit to Sweden. At one point, before his arrest in Britain, Swedish prosecutors charged him with assaulting two women. Swedish authorities recently sent British authorities a fresh request for Assange’s extradition. The decision regarding which country should have its chance to prosecute him first is now in the hands of Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Britain’s interior security minister. The Justice Department's quick turnaround with the filing of a more substantial indictment against Assange is not surprising. Under extradition rules, the United States had only a 60-day window from the date of Assange's arrest in London to add more charges. After that, foreign governments do not generally accept superseding charges. Watch: 'We need to save his life,' says Pamela Anderson after visiting Julian Assange in London jail ×

US announces 17 new espionage charges against Wikileaks' Julian Assange

Protesters rallied outside Ecuador's embassy in London on Monday on the day that documents and electronic equipment belonging to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were expected to be seized for handover to US authorities.

"Free speech" and "Free Assange", read some of the signs held up by a small group of campaigners outside the embassy where Assange was holed up for seven years before police arrested him last month after Ecuador revoked his asylum.

Assange is currently serving out a 50-week prison sentence in Britain for breaking his bail conditions when he first fled to the embassy in 2012.

He is also facing a US extradition request on computer hacking charges. And Sweden announced Monday that it has issued a formal request to hold Assange on suspicion of rape, which could lead to an extradition request from that country too.

The US case involves WikiLeaks publishing hundreds of thousands of classified documents exposing American military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries.

Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia earlier this month confirmed that the belongings that Assange had to leave behind would be seized and Ecuadorian prosecutors would then decide what material to hand over to US investigators.

Valencia defended the handover, saying: "This is derived from a very clear order from a competent judicial authority."

One of the protesters, Venezuelan journalist Carolina Graterol, 52, said the handover constituted a violation of "privacy and free speech".

"They are breaking all the laws that protect us as journalists," she said.

According to WikiLeaks, the seized material includes two of Assange's manuscripts, as well as his legal papers, medical records and electronic equipment.

"The seizure of his belongings violates laws that protect medical and legal confidentiality and press protections," the website said in a statement.

WikiLeaks said it believed the chain of custody for the property "has already been broken".

Fidel Narvaez, a former consul of Ecuador to London, who was also protesting outside the embassy on Monday, warned that there could be "tampering" with evidence.

Protesters rallied outside Ecuador's embassy in London on Monday on the day that documents and electronic equipment belonging to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were expected to be seized for handover to US authorities.

Protesters rallied outside Ecuador's embassy in London on Monday on the day that documents and electronic equipment belonging to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were expected to be seized for handover to US authorities. "Free speech" and "Free Assange", read some of the signs held up by a small group of campaigners outside the embassy where Assange was holed up for seven years before police arrested him last month after Ecuador revoked his asylum. Assange is currently serving out a 50-week prison sentence in Britain for breaking his bail conditions when he first fled to the embassy in 2012. He is also facing a US extradition request on computer hacking charges. And Sweden announced Monday that it has issued a formal request to hold Assange on suspicion of rape, which could lead to an extradition request from that country too. The US case involves WikiLeaks publishing hundreds of thousands of classified documents exposing American military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia earlier this month confirmed that the belongings that Assange had to leave behind would be seized and Ecuadorian prosecutors would then decide what material to hand over to US investigators. Valencia defended the handover, saying: "This is derived from a very clear order from a competent judicial authority." One of the protesters, Venezuelan journalist Carolina Graterol, 52, said the handover constituted a violation of "privacy and free speech". "They are breaking all the laws that protect us as journalists," she said. According to WikiLeaks, the seized material includes two of Assange's manuscripts, as well as his legal papers, medical records and electronic equipment. "The seizure of his belongings violates laws that protect medical and legal confidentiality and press protections," the website said in a statement. WikiLeaks said it believed the chain of custody for the property "has already been broken". Fidel Narvaez, a former consul of Ecuador to London, who was also protesting outside the embassy on Monday, warned that there could be "tampering" with evidence.

Protest against seizure of Assange's belongings

A federal judge found former US soldier and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning in contempt of court and ordered her back to jail on Thursday for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury, a law enforcement official and her legal team said.

Manning was convicted by Army court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offences for leaking an enormous trove of military reports and State Department cables to WikiLeaks while she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq.&nbsp;

Former President Barack Obama later reduced Manning`s sentence and she was released in May 2017.

Manning was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury hearing evidence collected by prosecutors who have for years been investigating WikiLeaks, and who recently unsealed a criminal indictment against its founder, Julian Assange.

Manning refused to testify and earlier this year was jailed for 62 days for contempt of court.

US&nbsp;District Judge Anthony Trenga sent her back to jail on Thursday and ordered that, if she does not comply with the subpoena, after 30 days she will be fined $500 a day.

The fine would go up to $1,000 a day if she continues to refuse to testify after 60 days, the law enforcement official and a spokesman for her attorneys said. 
Manning was taken immediately to a local jail in Alexandria, Virginia.&nbsp;

"Attempting to coerce me with a grand jury subpoena is not going to work. I will not cooperate with this or any other grand jury," Manning said before entering the federal courthouse for the hearing on Thursday. "Facing jail again, potentially today, doesn`t change my stance."&nbsp;

The indictment against Assange alleges that he conspired with Manning to try to crack a password stored on US Defense Department computers connected to a classified government data network. Manning`s lawyer, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, said after the hearing that her client would not back down.

“We are of course disappointed with the outcome of today`s hearing, but I anticipate it will be exactly as coercive as the previous sanction — which is to say not at all," she said.

US&nbsp;prosecutors publicly released the indictment against Assange after he was evicted from Ecuador`s London embassy, where he took refuge in 2012 fearing extradition to the United States or Sweden.&nbsp;

Assange is now serving a 50-week British prison sentence for jumping bail. Both US&nbsp;and Swedish authorities are seeking his extradition.

A federal judge found former US soldier and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning in contempt of court and ordered her back to jail on Thursday for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury, a law enforcement official and her legal team said.

A federal judge found former US soldier and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning in contempt of court and ordered her back to jail on Thursday for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury, a law enforcement official and her legal team said. Manning was convicted by Army court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offences for leaking an enormous trove of military reports and State Department cables to WikiLeaks while she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Former President Barack Obama later reduced Manning`s sentence and she was released in May 2017. Manning was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury hearing evidence collected by prosecutors who have for years been investigating WikiLeaks, and who recently unsealed a criminal indictment against its founder, Julian Assange. Manning refused to testify and earlier this year was jailed for 62 days for contempt of court. US District Judge Anthony Trenga sent her back to jail on Thursday and ordered that, if she does not comply with the subpoena, after 30 days she will be fined $500 a day. The fine would go up to $1,000 a day if she continues to refuse to testify after 60 days, the law enforcement official and a spokesman for her attorneys said. Manning was taken immediately to a local jail in Alexandria, Virginia. "Attempting to coerce me with a grand jury subpoena is not going to work. I will not cooperate with this or any other grand jury," Manning said before entering the federal courthouse for the hearing on Thursday. "Facing jail again, potentially today, doesn`t change my stance." The indictment against Assange alleges that he conspired with Manning to try to crack a password stored on US Defense Department computers connected to a classified government data network. Manning`s lawyer, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, said after the hearing that her client would not back down. “We are of course disappointed with the outcome of today`s hearing, but I anticipate it will be exactly as coercive as the previous sanction — which is to say not at all," she said. US prosecutors publicly released the indictment against Assange after he was evicted from Ecuador`s London embassy, where he took refuge in 2012 fearing extradition to the United States or Sweden. Assange is now serving a 50-week British prison sentence for jumping bail. Both US and Swedish authorities are seeking his extradition.

Ex-soldier and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning returned to jail for defying grand jury subpoena

Former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning said Sunday she again plans to refuse to testify before a grand jury about her leak of classified documents to WikiLeaks -- even if it means returning to jail.

Manning, who served seven years in prison over her transfer of secret diplomatic and military documents, recently spent another two months in lock-up for contempt of court after refusing to answer the grand jury's questions.

Federal prosecutors have for years been investigating WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and they apparently want Manning to testify about her dealings with him.

Her release last week came on a technicality -- that grand jury's term was expiring. But a new grand jury has been convened and called on her to appear this week.

"They've already stipulated they want to ask the same questions," Manning told CNN.&nbsp;

"I am going to refuse," she added. "I have nothing new to provide."

Manning admitted that while she and her legal team do not know if she will be jailed again, she believes she has a "much stronger case in terms of the legal objections."

"We're certainly going to raise every single legal challenge that we have," said Manning, a transgender woman who was known as Bradley at the time of her interaction with WikiLeaks.

Her leak of classified documents, including some related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, made her a hero to anti-war and anti-secrecy activists, and her actions helped make WikiLeaks a force in the global anti-secrecy movement.

Manning said she believes that the efforts to prosecute Assange are part of a wider campaign to "go after journalists."

Assange was arrested in April at the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he spent seven years after seeking asylum.&nbsp;

He sought refuge there to escape extradition to Sweden, where he had been accused of rape and sexual assault.

Assange is now serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for jumping bail and is contesting an extradition request from the United States, where he is wanted for hacking.

Former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning said Sunday she again plans to refuse to testify before a grand jury about her leak of classified documents to WikiLeaks -- even if it means returning to jail.

Former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning said Sunday she again plans to refuse to testify before a grand jury about her leak of classified documents to WikiLeaks -- even if it means returning to jail. Manning, who served seven years in prison over her transfer of secret diplomatic and military documents, recently spent another two months in lock-up for contempt of court after refusing to answer the grand jury's questions. Federal prosecutors have for years been investigating WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and they apparently want Manning to testify about her dealings with him. Her release last week came on a technicality -- that grand jury's term was expiring. But a new grand jury has been convened and called on her to appear this week. "They've already stipulated they want to ask the same questions," Manning told CNN. "I am going to refuse," she added. "I have nothing new to provide." Manning admitted that while she and her legal team do not know if she will be jailed again, she believes she has a "much stronger case in terms of the legal objections." "We're certainly going to raise every single legal challenge that we have," said Manning, a transgender woman who was known as Bradley at the time of her interaction with WikiLeaks. Her leak of classified documents, including some related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, made her a hero to anti-war and anti-secrecy activists, and her actions helped make WikiLeaks a force in the global anti-secrecy movement. Manning said she believes that the efforts to prosecute Assange are part of a wider campaign to "go after journalists." Assange was arrested in April at the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he spent seven years after seeking asylum. He sought refuge there to escape extradition to Sweden, where he had been accused of rape and sexual assault. Assange is now serving a 50-week sentence in Britain for jumping bail and is contesting an extradition request from the United States, where he is wanted for hacking.

Manning again will not testify on WikiLeaks, risking return to jail

Julian Assange: Heroic Whistleblower now battles rape allegation

Sweden's state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen a rape investigation involving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that circumstances now existed to seek his extradition from Britain.

Swedish prosecutor reopens Julian Assange rape investigation

US actress Pamela Anderson visited Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in his London jail on Tuesday and said she loved him and his life needed saving. The Former Baywatch star, along with Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, was Assange's first visitors other than his lawyers since being held at the high-security Belmarsh Prison in London.

'We need to save his life,' says Pamela Anderson after visiting Julian Assange in London jail

Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson described <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-says-he-does-not-want-to-be-extradited-to-the-united-states-215388">Julian Assange</a>'s conditions in prison as "appalling" as he spoke to journalists outside Westminster Magistrates Court after a preliminary extradition hearing.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wikileaks-julian-assange-sentenced-to-50-weeks-prison-for-breaching-bail-215236">WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks prison for breaching bail</a>

The United States has requested the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ive-protected-many-assange-tells-uk-court-as-he-fights-us-extradition-warrant-215435">extradition of Assange</a>, who was dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on April 11, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years.

"'It is unacceptable that a publisher is spending time in that prison," Hrafnsson said as Assange supporters gathered around him.

Appearing via a video link from a British prison, the WikiLeaks founder told the London court his work had protected "many people" and refused to agree to be extradited to the United States to face trial for one of the largest compromises of classified information in history.

The case was adjourned until May 30 for a procedural hearing with a more substantial hearing planned for June 12. The full extradition hearing was some months away, Judge Michael Snow told the court.

To some, Assange is a hero for exposing what supporters cast as abuse of power by modern states and for championing free speech. To others, he is a dangerous rebel who has undermined US security.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a British court for skipping bail after fleeing to Ecuador's Embassy in London, where he remained for seven years.

Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson described Julian Assange's conditions in prison as "appalling" as he spoke to journalists outside Westminster Magistrates Court after a preliminary extradition hearing.

Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson described Julian Assange's conditions in prison as "appalling" as he spoke to journalists outside Westminster Magistrates Court after a preliminary extradition hearing. Also read: WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks prison for breaching bail The United States has requested the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on April 11, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years. "'It is unacceptable that a publisher is spending time in that prison," Hrafnsson said as Assange supporters gathered around him. Appearing via a video link from a British prison, the WikiLeaks founder told the London court his work had protected "many people" and refused to agree to be extradited to the United States to face trial for one of the largest compromises of classified information in history. The case was adjourned until May 30 for a procedural hearing with a more substantial hearing planned for June 12. The full extradition hearing was some months away, Judge Michael Snow told the court. To some, Assange is a hero for exposing what supporters cast as abuse of power by modern states and for championing free speech. To others, he is a dangerous rebel who has undermined US security. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a British court for skipping bail after fleeing to Ecuador's Embassy in London, where he remained for seven years.

Assange prison conditions 'appalling', WikiLeaks editor says as extradition hearing ends

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told a London court on Thursday his work had protected "many people" and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-says-he-does-not-want-to-be-extradited-to-the-united-states-215388">refused to agree to be extradited to the United States</a> to face trial for one of the largest compromises of classified information in history.

The United States has requested the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London on April 11, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years.

Asked at a preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court whether he agreed to be extradited to the United States, Assange, appearing via a video link from a British prison, said: "I do not wish to surrender for extradition. I'm a journalist winning many, many awards and protecting many people."

Assange made international headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

To some, Assange is a hero for exposing what supporters cast as abuse of power by modern states and for championing free speech. To others, he is a dangerous rebel who has undermined US security.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wikileaks-julian-assange-sentenced-to-50-weeks-prison-for-breaching-bail-215236">he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a British court</a> for skipping bail after fleeing to Ecuador's Embassy in London, where he remained for seven years until police dragged him out last month.

Assange had sought refuge in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face an allegation of rape, which he denies, saying he feared he would be sent to the United States to face action over the WikiLeaks' release of classified US&nbsp;diplomatic cables.

Hours after his arrest last month, US prosecutors said they had charged Assange with conspiracy in trying to access a classified US&nbsp;government computer.

"The charge relates to one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States," said Ben Brandon, the lawyer representing the United States.

He said in early 2010, former US&nbsp;Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning had downloaded 90,000 activity reports relating to the Afghan war, 400,000 relating to the conflict in Iraq, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessment briefs and 250,000 US&nbsp;diplomatic cables.

The vast majority of these were later released on WikiLeaks.

There were computer room chats showing real-time discussions between Manning and Assange over cracking a password to gain access to classified US documents and the public release of the information, Brandon said.

The case was adjourned until May 30 for a procedural hearing with a more substantial hearing planned for June 12. The full extradition hearing was some months away, Judge Michael Snow told the court.

Police had moved into the embassy to arrest Assange after Ecuador revoked his asylum.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told a London court on Thursday his work had protected "many people" and refused to agree to be extradited to the United States to face trial for one of the largest compromises of classified information in history.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told a London court on Thursday his work had protected "many people" and refused to agree to be extradited to the United States to face trial for one of the largest compromises of classified information in history. The United States has requested the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London on April 11, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years. Asked at a preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court whether he agreed to be extradited to the United States, Assange, appearing via a video link from a British prison, said: "I do not wish to surrender for extradition. I'm a journalist winning many, many awards and protecting many people." Assange made international headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. To some, Assange is a hero for exposing what supporters cast as abuse of power by modern states and for championing free speech. To others, he is a dangerous rebel who has undermined US security. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a British court for skipping bail after fleeing to Ecuador's Embassy in London, where he remained for seven years until police dragged him out last month. Assange had sought refuge in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face an allegation of rape, which he denies, saying he feared he would be sent to the United States to face action over the WikiLeaks' release of classified US diplomatic cables. Hours after his arrest last month, US prosecutors said they had charged Assange with conspiracy in trying to access a classified US government computer. "The charge relates to one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States," said Ben Brandon, the lawyer representing the United States. He said in early 2010, former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning had downloaded 90,000 activity reports relating to the Afghan war, 400,000 relating to the conflict in Iraq, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessment briefs and 250,000 US diplomatic cables. The vast majority of these were later released on WikiLeaks. There were computer room chats showing real-time discussions between Manning and Assange over cracking a password to gain access to classified US documents and the public release of the information, Brandon said. The case was adjourned until May 30 for a procedural hearing with a more substantial hearing planned for June 12. The full extradition hearing was some months away, Judge Michael Snow told the court. Police had moved into the embassy to arrest Assange after Ecuador revoked his asylum.

I've protected many, Assange tells UK court as he fights US extradition warrant

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-gravitas-julian-assange-arrested-in-london-209761">WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange</a> has been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail by the London court for breaching a court order seven years ago, when he took refuge in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuador-says-hit-by-40-million-cyber-attacks-since-julian-assange-arrest-210761">Ecuador's London embassy</a> to avoid extradition to Sweden.

The Australian whistleblower, who was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador gave him up, raised a clenched fist as he arrived in a prison van at Southwark Crown Court.

A handful of supporters held up placards saying "Free Julian Assange" ahead of the hearing.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/assange-may-have-been-victim-of-espionage-in-embassy-lawyers-213956">Assange </a>fled to Ecuador's embassy in 2012 after a British judge ordered his extradition to face Swedish allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he strongly denied.

He claimed the allegations were a pretext to transfer him to the United States, where he feared prosecution over the release by WikiLeaks of millions of classified documents.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-transparency-icon-or-enemy-of-the-state-209557">Julian Assange: Transparency icon or enemy of the state?</a>

There is no longer an active investigation in Sweden and the extradition request has lapsed.

However, the 47-year-old is facing a US extradition request, which was only revealed following his dramatic arrest, when he was dragged shouting from the embassy by police.

US hearing on Thursday

The biggest concern for his lawyers is the US extradition request. An initial hearing in the case is set for this Thursday.

The US indictment charges him with "conspiracy" for working with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010.

Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries around the world.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuadors-president-says-assange-tried-to-use-its-embassy-to-spy-210565">Assange</a> could face up to five years in jail if found guilty, although his team is fighting his extradition and the process could take years.

The charge has raised serious concerns among organisations advocating free speech, including politicians such as British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

WikiLeaks is also back in the news in the United States, over its alleged role in the leak of Hillary Clinton's emails in 2016 US presidential election.

The Swedish claims against Assange date back to 2010, when he was at the centre of a global storm over WikiLeaks' exposures.

The sexual assault claim expired in 2015, but while the rape claim was dropped in 2017, the alleged victim wants the case reopened.

If Stockholm makes a formal extradition request, Britain must decide whether to consider it before or after that of the United States.

A group of British lawmakers have urged the Swedish case to take precedence, saying the rights of the alleged victims must not be lost in the political row.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail by the London court for breaching a court order seven years ago, when he took refuge in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail by the London court for breaching a court order seven years ago, when he took refuge in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden. The Australian whistleblower, who was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador gave him up, raised a clenched fist as he arrived in a prison van at Southwark Crown Court. A handful of supporters held up placards saying "Free Julian Assange" ahead of the hearing. Assange fled to Ecuador's embassy in 2012 after a British judge ordered his extradition to face Swedish allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he strongly denied. He claimed the allegations were a pretext to transfer him to the United States, where he feared prosecution over the release by WikiLeaks of millions of classified documents. Also read: Julian Assange: Transparency icon or enemy of the state? There is no longer an active investigation in Sweden and the extradition request has lapsed. However, the 47-year-old is facing a US extradition request, which was only revealed following his dramatic arrest, when he was dragged shouting from the embassy by police. US hearing on Thursday The biggest concern for his lawyers is the US extradition request. An initial hearing in the case is set for this Thursday. The US indictment charges him with "conspiracy" for working with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010. Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries around the world. Assange could face up to five years in jail if found guilty, although his team is fighting his extradition and the process could take years. The charge has raised serious concerns among organisations advocating free speech, including politicians such as British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. WikiLeaks is also back in the news in the United States, over its alleged role in the leak of Hillary Clinton's emails in 2016 US presidential election. The Swedish claims against Assange date back to 2010, when he was at the centre of a global storm over WikiLeaks' exposures. The sexual assault claim expired in 2015, but while the rape claim was dropped in 2017, the alleged victim wants the case reopened. If Stockholm makes a formal extradition request, Britain must decide whether to consider it before or after that of the United States. A group of British lawmakers have urged the Swedish case to take precedence, saying the rights of the alleged victims must not be lost in the political row.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in jail

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-gravitas-julian-assange-arrested-in-london-209761">WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange</a> faces sentencing in London on Wednesday for breaching his bail conditions, the whistleblowing site and a court official said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/assange-may-have-been-victim-of-espionage-in-embassy-lawyers-213956">Assange</a> could face a 12-month prison sentence for the violation, although time already served in prison may be taken into account.

The 47-year-old, who was arrested earlier this month after spending seven years holed up in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuador-says-hit-by-40-million-cyber-attacks-since-julian-assange-arrest-210761">Ecuadoran embassy in London</a>, is due to appear in person at Southwark Crown Court for the hearing, a court official said.

Assange, who took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape accusations, was arrested on April 11 after Quito <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuador-president-defends-assange-asylum-withdrawal-210458">terminated his asylum</a>.

WikiLeaks exposed everything from US military secrets to tax evasion by the wealthy.

He is also wanted for computer hacking in the United States and faces an initial extradition hearing on Thursday, although the process could last for months or even years. 
&nbsp;

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces sentencing in London on Wednesday for breaching his bail conditions, the whistleblowing site and a court official said. Assange could face a 12-month prison sentence for the violation, although time already served in prison may be taken into account.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces sentencing in London on Wednesday for breaching his bail conditions, the whistleblowing site and a court official said. Assange could face a 12-month prison sentence for the violation, although time already served in prison may be taken into account. The 47-year-old, who was arrested earlier this month after spending seven years holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, is due to appear in person at Southwark Crown Court for the hearing, a court official said. Assange, who took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape accusations, was arrested on April 11 after Quito terminated his asylum. WikiLeaks exposed everything from US military secrets to tax evasion by the wealthy. He is also wanted for computer hacking in the United States and faces an initial extradition hearing on Thursday, although the process could last for months or even years.

Julian Assange to be sentenced for UK bail violation on Wednesday

Julian Assange's lawyers have filed a court complaint in Spain against a group of Spaniards they allege extorted the WikiLeaks founder whom they say may have been the victim of "espionage", a source in his defence team said Saturday.

Assange, who for seven years lived holed up in London's Ecuadoran embassy where he had taken refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape accusations, was arrested on April 11 after Quito terminated his asylum.

The 47-year-old founder of WikiLeaks, which exposed everything from US military secrets to the wealthy's tax evasion, is now awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said the complaint was against "a group of Spaniards who allegedly engaged in extortion."

The source told AFP the complaint was also against various employees of the embassy and Ecuador's foreign ministry "who could be responsible," without detailing how.

The source added a probe was ongoing into the alleged extortion, as well as "espionage" that could have taken place against Assange, without giving further details.

According to online daily eldiario.es, four Spaniards have videos and personal documents of Assange which they somehow obtained via an alleged spying system that included security cameras set up in the embassy in London.

The Spaniards allegedly tried to extort three million euros ($3.3 million) out of WikiLeaks not to publish any of it, the report says.

If confirmed, it is unclear how the Spaniards got access to the alleged spying system and were able to get the information about Assange.

It is also unclear whether his lawyers accuse the embassy and ministry employees targeted in the complaint, reportedly made to Spain's top-level National Court, of being behind the alleged espionage.

The National Court could not comment when contacted by AFP.

The accusations of espionage contrast with Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno's version of events.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, he alleged Assange had himself tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's embassy.

Now in prison in Britain, Assange is also fighting a US extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents.

Julian Assange's lawyers have filed a court complaint in Spain against a group of Spaniards they allege extorted the WikiLeaks founder whom they say may have been the victim of "espionage", a source in his defence team said Saturday.

Julian Assange's lawyers have filed a court complaint in Spain against a group of Spaniards they allege extorted the WikiLeaks founder whom they say may have been the victim of "espionage", a source in his defence team said Saturday. Assange, who for seven years lived holed up in London's Ecuadoran embassy where he had taken refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape accusations, was arrested on April 11 after Quito terminated his asylum. The 47-year-old founder of WikiLeaks, which exposed everything from US military secrets to the wealthy's tax evasion, is now awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said the complaint was against "a group of Spaniards who allegedly engaged in extortion." The source told AFP the complaint was also against various employees of the embassy and Ecuador's foreign ministry "who could be responsible," without detailing how. The source added a probe was ongoing into the alleged extortion, as well as "espionage" that could have taken place against Assange, without giving further details. According to online daily eldiario.es, four Spaniards have videos and personal documents of Assange which they somehow obtained via an alleged spying system that included security cameras set up in the embassy in London. The Spaniards allegedly tried to extort three million euros ($3.3 million) out of WikiLeaks not to publish any of it, the report says. If confirmed, it is unclear how the Spaniards got access to the alleged spying system and were able to get the information about Assange. It is also unclear whether his lawyers accuse the embassy and ministry employees targeted in the complaint, reportedly made to Spain's top-level National Court, of being behind the alleged espionage. The National Court could not comment when contacted by AFP. The accusations of espionage contrast with Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno's version of events. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, he alleged Assange had himself tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's embassy. Now in prison in Britain, Assange is also fighting a US extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents.

Assange may have been victim of 'espionage' in embassy: Lawyers

A federal appeals court on Monday denied a request by former US&nbsp;Army intelligence<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-probe-supporters-say-manning-in-solitary-confinement-205172"> analyst Chelsea Manning </a>to be released from jail on bail, and upheld a lower court's decision to hold Manning in civil contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury.

The ruling marks a blow for Manning, who has been detained since March after she declined to answer questions in connection with the government’s long-running investigation into Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange.

A spokesman for Manning and Manning's attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.

Assange was arrested on April 11 at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, after US&nbsp;prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia unsealed a criminal case against him alleging he conspired with Manning to commit computer intrusion.

The Justice Department said Assange was arrested under an extradition treaty between the United States and Britain.

The US&nbsp;government alleges that Assange tried to help Manning gain access to a government computer as part of a 2010 leak by WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of US&nbsp;military reports about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and American diplomatic communications.

It is not clear if the alleged collaboration between Manning and Assange led to a successful intrusion into any US&nbsp;government computer.

Assange plans to fight the US&nbsp;extradition request. Such cases, when challenged, can take years before they are resolved.

Manning was convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offenses for furnishing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks while she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq.

Former US&nbsp;President Barack Obama, in his final days in office, commuted the final 28 years of Manning’s 35-year sentence.

Manning has tried to fight the grand jury subpoena in the Assange case, citing her First, Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights under the Constitution.

Her attorneys said among other things that the district court had failed to address her concerns that the government was abusing the grand jury process so it could preview or undermine her testimony as a potential defense witness at a trial.

Her lawyers have also argued that the courtroom was improperly sealed during substantial portions of the hearing.

But a three-judge panel of the US&nbsp;Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit did not agree with those claims.

"The court finds no error in the district court’s rulings and affirms its finding of civil contempt," they wrote.

A federal appeals court on Monday denied a request by former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to be released from jail on bail, and upheld a lower court's decision to hold Manning in civil contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury.

A federal appeals court on Monday denied a request by former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to be released from jail on bail, and upheld a lower court's decision to hold Manning in civil contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury. The ruling marks a blow for Manning, who has been detained since March after she declined to answer questions in connection with the government’s long-running investigation into Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. A spokesman for Manning and Manning's attorney could not be immediately reached for comment. Assange was arrested on April 11 at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, after US prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia unsealed a criminal case against him alleging he conspired with Manning to commit computer intrusion. The Justice Department said Assange was arrested under an extradition treaty between the United States and Britain. The US government alleges that Assange tried to help Manning gain access to a government computer as part of a 2010 leak by WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of US military reports about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and American diplomatic communications. It is not clear if the alleged collaboration between Manning and Assange led to a successful intrusion into any US government computer. Assange plans to fight the US extradition request. Such cases, when challenged, can take years before they are resolved. Manning was convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offenses for furnishing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks while she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Former US President Barack Obama, in his final days in office, commuted the final 28 years of Manning’s 35-year sentence. Manning has tried to fight the grand jury subpoena in the Assange case, citing her First, Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights under the Constitution. Her attorneys said among other things that the district court had failed to address her concerns that the government was abusing the grand jury process so it could preview or undermine her testimony as a potential defense witness at a trial. Her lawyers have also argued that the courtroom was improperly sealed during substantial portions of the hearing. But a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit did not agree with those claims. "The court finds no error in the district court’s rulings and affirms its finding of civil contempt," they wrote.

US appeals court denies Chelsea Manning's bail request

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-to-fight-us-extradition-request-lawyer-209644&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjRhYiMn9HhAhX-6XMBHYZ3BvIQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw00M472aQqGuZPH6OXwarqE">Julian Assange</a>'s asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-being-spied-upon-at-ecuador-embassy-wikileaks-209435&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjRhYiMn9HhAhX-6XMBHYZ3BvIQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2HaDy3S2x4IaUaaPY5JQ-P">Ecuador</a>'s London embassy.

"It is unfortunate that, from our territory and with the permission of authorities of the previous government, facilities have been provided within the Ecuadoran embassy in London to interfere in processes of other states," Moreno said.

"We cannot allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a centre for spying," added Moreno, who was elected in 2017.

"Our decision is not arbitrary but is based on international law," he said.

The WikiLeaks founder is in custody in London awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012 by seeking refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Earlier Sunday,&nbsp;Assange's lawyer said his client would cooperate with Swedish authorities if they reopen a rape case against him but would continue to resist any bid to extradite him to the United States.

"We are absolutely happy to answer those queries if and when they come up," Jennifer Robinson told Sky News television about the rape claims.

"The key issue at the moment is US extradition, which we have warned about for many years," she added.

Assange&nbsp;was arrested at the embassy on Thursday after Ecuador gave him up, and is now also fighting a US extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents.

The Australian has always denied the claims of sexual assault and rape in Sweden. The first expired in 2015 and the other was dropped in 2017, but the alleged rape victim has now asked for the case to be reopened.

If Stockholm makes a formal extradition request, the British government will have to decide whether to consider it before or after that of the United States.

Robinson said&nbsp;Assange would seek assurances from Sweden that he would not be sent on to America, saying: "That is the same assurance we were seeking in 2010 and the refusal to give that is why he sought asylum."

'Not above the law'&nbsp;

She added: "He's not above the law.&nbsp;Julian&nbsp;has never been concerned about facing British justice or indeed Swedish justice.&nbsp;This case is and has always been about his concern about being sent to face American injustice."

The US indictment charges&nbsp;Assange with "conspiracy", alleging that he worked with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010.

He faces up to five years in jail.

Also Sunday, WikiLeaks said Australian Consul Clare West would visit the Ecuadoran embassy on Monday to request that the mission hand over&nbsp;Assange's belongings.

West met with&nbsp;Assange&nbsp;in prison on Friday.

Two left-wing German lawmakers, Heike Hansel and Sevim Dagdelen, along with&nbsp;Spanish MEP Ana Miranda were expected in London on Monday when they were originally set to meet&nbsp;Assange&nbsp;at the embassy.

Instead, they will hold a news conference outside the Belmarsh prison where&nbsp;Assange&nbsp;is being held, the German party Die Linke and WikiLeaks said.&nbsp;

Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries around the world.

The conspiracy charge against Assange&nbsp;seems intended to sidestep limits on prosecution potentially arising from the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of press freedom.

But Robinson insisted: "This indictment clearly engages newsgathering activities and the kinds of communications that journalists have with sources all the time."

The lawyer condemned as "outrageous" claims made by Ecuador about&nbsp;Assange's behaviour in the embassy, including that he smeared his faeces on the wall, saying: "That's not true."

In the Guardian interview, Moreno charged that Assange&nbsp;"mistreated our officials (and) started to make legal threats even against who was helping him."

Assange's father, John Shipton, on Sunday urged Australia to bring his son home.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn Julian Assange's asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's London embassy.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno on Sunday defended his decision to overturn Julian Assange's asylum status, claiming in an interview with the Guardian newspaper that the WikiLeaks founder had tried to set up a "centre for spying" in Ecuador's London embassy. "It is unfortunate that, from our territory and with the permission of authorities of the previous government, facilities have been provided within the Ecuadoran embassy in London to interfere in processes of other states," Moreno said. "We cannot allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a centre for spying," added Moreno, who was elected in 2017. "Our decision is not arbitrary but is based on international law," he said. The WikiLeaks founder is in custody in London awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012 by seeking refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden. Earlier Sunday, Assange's lawyer said his client would cooperate with Swedish authorities if they reopen a rape case against him but would continue to resist any bid to extradite him to the United States. "We are absolutely happy to answer those queries if and when they come up," Jennifer Robinson told Sky News television about the rape claims. "The key issue at the moment is US extradition, which we have warned about for many years," she added. Assange was arrested at the embassy on Thursday after Ecuador gave him up, and is now also fighting a US extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents. The Australian has always denied the claims of sexual assault and rape in Sweden. The first expired in 2015 and the other was dropped in 2017, but the alleged rape victim has now asked for the case to be reopened. If Stockholm makes a formal extradition request, the British government will have to decide whether to consider it before or after that of the United States. Robinson said Assange would seek assurances from Sweden that he would not be sent on to America, saying: "That is the same assurance we were seeking in 2010 and the refusal to give that is why he sought asylum." 'Not above the law' She added: "He's not above the law. Julian has never been concerned about facing British justice or indeed Swedish justice. This case is and has always been about his concern about being sent to face American injustice." The US indictment charges Assange with "conspiracy", alleging that he worked with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password stored on Department of Defence computers in March 2010. He faces up to five years in jail. Also Sunday, WikiLeaks said Australian Consul Clare West would visit the Ecuadoran embassy on Monday to request that the mission hand over Assange's belongings. West met with Assange in prison on Friday. Two left-wing German lawmakers, Heike Hansel and Sevim Dagdelen, along with Spanish MEP Ana Miranda were expected in London on Monday when they were originally set to meet Assange at the embassy. Instead, they will hold a news conference outside the Belmarsh prison where Assange is being held, the German party Die Linke and WikiLeaks said. Manning passed hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, exposing US military wrongdoing in the Iraq war and diplomatic secrets about scores of countries around the world. The conspiracy charge against Assange seems intended to sidestep limits on prosecution potentially arising from the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of press freedom. But Robinson insisted: "This indictment clearly engages newsgathering activities and the kinds of communications that journalists have with sources all the time." The lawyer condemned as "outrageous" claims made by Ecuador about Assange's behaviour in the embassy, including that he smeared his faeces on the wall, saying: "That's not true." In the Guardian interview, Moreno charged that Assange "mistreated our officials (and) started to make legal threats even against who was helping him." Assange's father, John Shipton, on Sunday urged Australia to bring his son home.

Ecuador president defends Julian Assange asylum withdrawal

British police dragged <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuadors-president-says-assange-tried-to-use-its-embassy-to-spy-210565">Julian Assange</a> from the Ecuadorean embassy last Thursday after his asylum was revoked, ending his seven-year stay there and opening the way for his extradition to the United States.

Assange's supporters, who cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower, fear the 47-year-old will end up on trial in the United States.

The United States wants Assange for one of the largest compromises of classified information in US history.

What happens now?

Who is Assange?

Assange was born on July 3, 1971 in Australia. In his teens, he gained a reputation as a talented computer programmer and in the mid-1990s he was arrested and pleaded guilty to hacking. He founded WikiLeaks in 2006.

He shot to fame in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret US diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical US appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family.

Why was he in the Ecuadorean embassy?

Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in June 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a preliminary sexual assault investigation.

That investigation was later dropped but because he had breached his British bail in 2012, he was arrested last week and found guilty of failing to surrender to Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Following his arrest, US prosecutors announced charges against him and Swedish prosecutors are considering reopening the rape investigation.

Jail in the United Kingdom?

Westminster Magistrates' Court's Judge Michael Snow said Assange faces up to 12 months in jail when he is sentenced at a later date at Southwark Crown Court.

The British criminal action against Assange will take precedence over extradition proceedings although Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters &amp; Peters and former head of extradition at Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, said in practice it would make little difference.

"Even if he gets a maximum 12-month sentence, that means he will serve six and it will take at least six months for his extradition proceedings to be resolved," Vamos told Reuters.

&nbsp;So while he is in custody, the extradition hearings can proceed. The British judge gave the US government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange.

So dopes Assange end up in Sweden or the United States?

The courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence.

Vamos said the home secretary would take into account the seriousness of the offence and which request was issued first, and expected a Swedish one would take supremacy.

"Even though technically it would be a re-issued request, in effect it would be just a repeat of the request that was issued many years ago and therefore it would be treated as if it was the earliest one," he said.

"The fact that his extradition had already been ordered on it once would be in the home secretary's mind. The US government can wait a bit longer, they've taken quite a long time to sort out whether they were ever going to charge him or not ...

"We don't know what happened in Sweden, we don't whether he committed that offence and there's a victim there who's been waiting for justice for many years and I think that should take priority."

What is the US case?

Just hours after Assange's arrest, US prosecutors announced charges against him for conspiring with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to gain access to a government computer.

The indictment, filed in March 2018 and unsealed on Thursday, said Assange in March 2010 engaged in a conspiracy to help Manning crack a password stored on Defense Department computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet), a US government network used for classified documents and communications.

Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, was jailed on March 8 after being held in contempt by a judge in Virginia for refusing to testify before a grand jury in what is widely believed to be related to the Assange investigation.

Manning was convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offences for furnishing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks while she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Former President Barack Obama commuted the final 28 years of Manning's 35-year sentence.

What is the Swedish investigation?

Assange was accused by two Swedish women of sexual assault and rape in 2010. After opening an initial investigation, prosecutors dropped it, only to reopen it and issue a European arrest order for Assange, who had left the country for Britain.

Assange, who denied the allegations, fought through the courts to get an extradition order and the preliminary investigation dropped.

His lawyers said he feared that should he go to Sweden, authorities could hand him over to the United States.

Prosecutors ended the preliminary investigation into allegations of sexual molestation and unlawful coercion in 2015 as the statute of limitations had already passed, but kept open the rape probe.

In May 2017, then chief prosecutor Marianne Ny dropped the preliminary investigation into rape without filing any charges, saying that there was no prospect of Assange being handed over within a reasonable timeframe.

Swedish prosecutors said on April 11 they had received a formal request to reopen the rape investigation from the legal counsel representing the alleged victim.

The request was assigned to Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson, who said prosecutors would look into the matter and determine how to proceed.

The statute of limitation for rape is 10 years, a deadline which would be reached in the mid-August next year.

How could Assange fight extradition?

"Everybody can challenge an extradition request on the basis it would be contrary to their human rights for them to be extradited," Vamos said.

"So Assange could argue that it would be impossible for him to have a fair trial in the US given what happened to Chelsea Manning, given the notoriety, the publicity about his case that effectively he's been tried in the media, public statements by US officials (that) it's impossible for him to have a fair trial."

He could also bring up potential conditions he would face in US prisons.

"He could argue the entire request is politically motivated that he is being prosecuted by reason of his political opinions or his political affiliations, that it's revenge, it's vindictive, it's a vendetta," Vamos said. "All of those arguments have legs."&nbsp;

&nbsp;Sweden's original request for Assange's extradition went to Britain's Supreme Court which backed the request.

&nbsp;If a lower court orders his extradition, then he could again appeal the decision to London's High Court and ultimately again to the Supreme Court if he can identify a challenge based on a point of law.

For US requests, the courts' decision has to be ratified by the Home Secretary but Vamos said in effect this was now just a rubber-stamping exercise.

British police dragged Julian Assange from the Ecuadorean embassy last Thursday after his asylum was revoked, ending his seven-year stay there and opening the way for his extradition to the United States.

British police dragged Julian Assange from the Ecuadorean embassy last Thursday after his asylum was revoked, ending his seven-year stay there and opening the way for his extradition to the United States. Assange's supporters, who cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower, fear the 47-year-old will end up on trial in the United States. The United States wants Assange for one of the largest compromises of classified information in US history. What happens now? Who is Assange? Assange was born on July 3, 1971 in Australia. In his teens, he gained a reputation as a talented computer programmer and in the mid-1990s he was arrested and pleaded guilty to hacking. He founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He shot to fame in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified US military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret US diplomatic cables that laid bare often critical US appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. Why was he in the Ecuadorean embassy? Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in June 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a preliminary sexual assault investigation. That investigation was later dropped but because he had breached his British bail in 2012, he was arrested last week and found guilty of failing to surrender to Westminster Magistrates' Court. Following his arrest, US prosecutors announced charges against him and Swedish prosecutors are considering reopening the rape investigation. Jail in the United Kingdom? Westminster Magistrates' Court's Judge Michael Snow said Assange faces up to 12 months in jail when he is sentenced at a later date at Southwark Crown Court. The British criminal action against Assange will take precedence over extradition proceedings although Nick Vamos, lawyer at London-based firm Peters & Peters and former head of extradition at Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, said in practice it would make little difference. "Even if he gets a maximum 12-month sentence, that means he will serve six and it will take at least six months for his extradition proceedings to be resolved," Vamos told Reuters. So while he is in custody, the extradition hearings can proceed. The British judge gave the US government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. So dopes Assange end up in Sweden or the United States? The courts will have to rule on any extradition request and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would decide which one takes precedence. Vamos said the home secretary would take into account the seriousness of the offence and which request was issued first, and expected a Swedish one would take supremacy. "Even though technically it would be a re-issued request, in effect it would be just a repeat of the request that was issued many years ago and therefore it would be treated as if it was the earliest one," he said. "The fact that his extradition had already been ordered on it once would be in the home secretary's mind. The US government can wait a bit longer, they've taken quite a long time to sort out whether they were ever going to charge him or not ... "We don't know what happened in Sweden, we don't whether he committed that offence and there's a victim there who's been waiting for justice for many years and I think that should take priority." What is the US case? Just hours after Assange's arrest, US prosecutors announced charges against him for conspiring with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to gain access to a government computer. The indictment, filed in March 2018 and unsealed on Thursday, said Assange in March 2010 engaged in a conspiracy to help Manning crack a password stored on Defense Department computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet), a US government network used for classified documents and communications. Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, was jailed on March 8 after being held in contempt by a judge in Virginia for refusing to testify before a grand jury in what is widely believed to be related to the Assange investigation. Manning was convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offences for furnishing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks while she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Former President Barack Obama commuted the final 28 years of Manning's 35-year sentence. What is the Swedish investigation? Assange was accused by two Swedish women of sexual assault and rape in 2010. After opening an initial investigation, prosecutors dropped it, only to reopen it and issue a European arrest order for Assange, who had left the country for Britain. Assange, who denied the allegations, fought through the courts to get an extradition order and the preliminary investigation dropped. His lawyers said he feared that should he go to Sweden, authorities could hand him over to the United States. Prosecutors ended the preliminary investigation into allegations of sexual molestation and unlawful coercion in 2015 as the statute of limitations had already passed, but kept open the rape probe. In May 2017, then chief prosecutor Marianne Ny dropped the preliminary investigation into rape without filing any charges, saying that there was no prospect of Assange being handed over within a reasonable timeframe. Swedish prosecutors said on April 11 they had received a formal request to reopen the rape investigation from the legal counsel representing the alleged victim. The request was assigned to Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson, who said prosecutors would look into the matter and determine how to proceed. The statute of limitation for rape is 10 years, a deadline which would be reached in the mid-August next year. How could Assange fight extradition? "Everybody can challenge an extradition request on the basis it would be contrary to their human rights for them to be extradited," Vamos said. "So Assange could argue that it would be impossible for him to have a fair trial in the US given what happened to Chelsea Manning, given the notoriety, the publicity about his case that effectively he's been tried in the media, public statements by US officials (that) it's impossible for him to have a fair trial." He could also bring up potential conditions he would face in US prisons. "He could argue the entire request is politically motivated that he is being prosecuted by reason of his political opinions or his political affiliations, that it's revenge, it's vindictive, it's a vendetta," Vamos said. "All of those arguments have legs." Sweden's original request for Assange's extradition went to Britain's Supreme Court which backed the request. If a lower court orders his extradition, then he could again appeal the decision to London's High Court and ultimately again to the Supreme Court if he can identify a challenge based on a point of law. For US requests, the courts' decision has to be ratified by the Home Secretary but Vamos said in effect this was now just a rubber-stamping exercise.

Looking for America - Is Julian Assange heading to the United States?

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