Virginia Grand Jury Attempts to Make a Case Against WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks Page (romanialibera.ro)
A federal grand jury in Virginia is scheduled on Wednesday to hear the testimonies of witnesses in one of the biggest criminal investigations in the national security leak – the case against Julian Assange.
It would seem that the fears of the founder of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks and of his lawyers were not groundless, since the American prosecutors are trying to build a case against him on the count of national security breach by releasing classified cables of the American diplomats.
It is considered that the case against Julian Assange is part of a broader action ordered by American president Barack Obama against the leakers.
WikiLeaks Page (romanialibera.ro)
Some national security experts say that it is for the first time that so many cases against leaks are being pursued by the Justice Department.
This action is seen by many as a worrisome fact, especially when it comes to upholding the freedom of the press while dealing with information pertaining to national security.
The situation is all the more preoccupying as some information can only be obtained by means of leaks to the press. Such was the case with the leaks about the abuses committed in Abu Ghraib against the prisoners by the American army.
For that matter, the procedure is considered by some analysts as a necessary safety valve. The Justice Department disagrees.
In the case of Wikileaks, the Virginia judges explore the possibility of include among charges conspiracy to transmit national defense information, accessing computer without authorization, and stealing from a federal agency.
Julian Assange said in the hearing before a Londonese judge as he was trying to avoid extradition to Sweden that he feared he would be extradite by Sweden to the U.S., where a case was being built against him.
The famous journalist’s lawyers added that their client feared that he could be sentenced to death or sent to Guantanamo, basing their allegations on declarations made by American political figures such as Sarah Palin, who said killing him would be an excusable crime, and that he should be hunted down, while U.S. Attorney General said that if American laws were unsufficient to prosecute Assange, new laws should be made for him.
