US agents ‘vanished after Assange named them on WikiLeaks’
Shock claim as crowds turn out for extradition fight
‘Outed by Wikileaks’
US government sources identified by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange disappeared after their names were published, a court heard yesterday.
Classified data published by the site was found at a compound used by Osama Bin Laden, indicating it had been useful to Al Qaeda, argued lawyers for the American authorities.
The claims were made on the first day of Assange’s fight against extradition to the US.
A mob of his supporters gathered outside the hearing at Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London yesterday, and at one point he stood up to tell district judge Vanessa Baraitser he was unable to hear much of what was being said due to the noise.
James Lewis QC accused the Australian computer expert of ‘ ordinary criminality’ by hacking into US networks and disseminating confidential information.
Mr Lewis said: ‘By disseminating the materials in an unredacted form, he likely put people – human rights activists, journalists, advocates, religious leaders, dissidents and their families at risk of serious harm, torture or even death.’
He said Assange was using the excuse of free speech to try to defend publication of the names of people who put themselves at risk to assist the US and its allies. The US relocated hundreds of ‘at risk’ sources named in the leaked reports, but was not able to contact all of them, the court heard.
‘The US is aware of sources, whose redacted names and other identifying information was contained in classified documents published by WikiLeaks, who subsequently disappeared, although the US can’t prove at this point that their disappearance was the result of being outed by WikiLeaks,’ Mr Lewis said.
The barrister also argued that the fact that letters containing US intelligence leaked by WikiLeaks were found in the 2011 raid in which Bin Laden was killed proved terrorist used the hacked material.
The crowd of supporters outside the court included fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. She said that what Assange had published was ‘in the public interest’ and added that she was ‘ worried and frightened’ by the case.
Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Assange, 48, argued that the prosecution was a political one and US President Donald Trump was making an example of him. He said every effort had been made to redact sensitive names.
During the seven years Assange spent hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, spies had considered kidnapping and even poisoning him, according to witnesses who had given evidence in a criminal case in Spain, Mr Fitzgerald claimed.
Assange is potentially facing 175 years in prison if he is extradited to the US to face 18 espionage charges.
Legal arguments will continue to be heard this week, but a decision is not expected for several months.