Sat Oct 13, 2012, 06:28 PM

Lawyers for Julian Assange & WikiLeaks Seek Details on Justice Department’s Criminal Investigation

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by OKNancy (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Firedoglake.com

Lawyers for WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, have sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting further information on the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Assange and WikiLeaks.

Former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, counsel to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) write, “In light of recent reports suggesting the possibility of an ongoing criminal investigation of Mr. Assange and/or WikiLeaks—and the existence of secret grand jury proceedings in the Eastern District of Virginia—we write to assess whether Mr. Assange in fact faces any criminal jeopardy in the United States and to protect his interests in the face of an investigation and/or trial.”

The grand jury exists and has been meeting. It has been confirmed in proceedings in the court martial of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of releasing classified information to WikiLeaks. It was also confirmed in diplomatic communications between the United States and Australia, which were covered by the Sydney Morning Herald.

...

To what extent the Justice Department considers Assange or WikiLeaks to be legally “an enemy” is important for the lawyers representing WikiLeaks to find out. As Glenn Greenwald of The Guardian recently covered in detail, “A US air force systems analyst who expressed support for WikiLeaks and accused leaker Bradley Manning triggered a formal military investigation last year to determine whether she herself had leaked any documents to the group.” The Air Force interviewed her multiple times to elicit information on her contacts with and support for WikiLeaks. They referred to WikiLeaks, in documents, as an “ant-US or anti-military group.” And the crime she was being investigated for committing was, “Communicating with the Enemy,” an Article 104 offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (the same kind of offense Pfc. Manning allegedly committed).

Read more: http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2012/10/11/lawyers-for-julian-assange-wikileaks-seek-details-on-justice-departments-criminal-investigation/

Lawyers are doing this in order to get Assange one step closer to freedom from political persecution.

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Replies to this discussion thread

8 replies	Author	Time	Post
Lawyers for Julian Assange & WikiLeaks Seek Details on Justice Department’s Criminal Investigation (Original post)	AntiFascist	Oct 2012	OP
And if that doesn't work, they shall send another stern letter!	Robb	Oct 2012	#1
This may mean Assange is ready to give in and face the music in Sweden.	randome	Oct 2012	#2
Assange may be testing the waters...	AntiFascist	Oct 2012	#3
The only thing I'm sure of is that he is anxious to avoid facing charges in Sweden.	randome	Oct 2012	#4
Do you happen to have a link to the reports please	cstanleytech	Oct 2012	#7
The U.S. and its flunkies ARE out to get him.	savannah43	Oct 2012	#5
Well, I think he IS an idiot. A narcissistic one.	randome	Oct 2012	#6
Locking - article dated Oct 11	OKNancy	Oct 2012	#8

Response to AntiFascist (Original post)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 06:33 PM

Robb (38,327 posts)

1. And if that doesn't work, they shall send another stern letter!

And we shall cc: firedog lake AND PressTV!!!11elevens

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Response to AntiFascist (Original post)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 06:40 PM

randome (12,624 posts)

2. This may mean Assange is ready to give in and face the music in Sweden.

He's testing the waters. In the event of something amorphous like 'no charges are actively being considered', he'll declare that he successfully caused world governments to 'back off' and then go to Sweden.

Of course, either way, the conspiracy theorists will maintain that the world was, and is, out to get him.

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Response to randome (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 06:54 PM

AntiFascist (10,799 posts)

3. Assange may be testing the waters...

but I'm sure he is anxious to put any fears of US prosecution behind him.

Since you and the other anti-Assangists seem to have short-term memory problems, we need to keep constantly reminding you that a long list of prominent Republicans were calling for him to be sentenced to death or even assassinated just 2 years ago. It doesn't take a conspiracy theory to know that the right-wing was indeed out to get him. There were also reports of informal talks with Swedish diplomats about the possibilities of extraditing Assange to the US, at that time. That is the extent of my own "theory", but no doubt your crowd will be throwing around extensive theories involving secret CIA plots, black helicopters, and rendition.

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Response to AntiFascist (Reply #3)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 06:58 PM

randome (12,624 posts)

4. The only thing I'm sure of is that he is anxious to avoid facing charges in Sweden.

Last edited Sat Oct 13, 2012, 06:59 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

Whatever prominent Republicans or Democrats have said is virtually meaningless because it's all become a contest of egos. Assange, Wikileaks, Anonymous and diplomats. All are eager to have a say in this when the only thing that should matter to anyone is to address what happened in Sweden.

And I disagree with your characterization of me as 'anti' Assange. I think he's wrong in many ways, that's all. If I'm ever proven wrong about THAT, so be it.

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Response to AntiFascist (Reply #3)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 07:17 PM

cstanleytech (5,299 posts)

7. Do you happen to have a link to the reports please

because thats the first I have heard that there reports of such talks happening, plenty of rumors of course but no actual reports showing such talks were taking place.

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Response to randome (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 07:02 PM

savannah43 (514 posts)

5. The U.S. and its flunkies ARE out to get him.

Last edited Sat Oct 13, 2012, 07:03 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

Catch up. He'd have to be an idiot to do it your way.

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Response to savannah43 (Reply #5)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 07:04 PM

randome (12,624 posts)

6. Well, I think he IS an idiot. A narcissistic one.

But he needs to face up to what happened in Sweden. That's the ONLY thing that should matter to any of us. Trying to hide from 'shadowy forces' seems so juvenile.

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Response to AntiFascist (Original post)

Sat Oct 13, 2012, 07:24 PM

OKNancy (29,934 posts)

8. Locking - article dated Oct 11

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