Assange's Lawyers Surprised by Superseding US Indictment

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2020) The defense team of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said at a hearing on Monday that they had been surprised to learn about a superseding US indictment from news.

"We were surprised to hear about it in the media," Mark Summers was quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying in the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.

Assange is fighting extradition to the United States, where he is wanted for 18 alleged offenses, including conspiracy to hack government computers and espionage. He faces up to 175 years in prison if found guilty.

The US Department of Justice published a press release on Thursday, saying it had decided to "broaden the scope of the conspiracy" by accusing him of recruiting hackers to procure secret information.

WikiLeaks said in a statement that the US government had not showed the indictment to Assange's legal team or Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who said she had received an email about it.

Prosecution barrister Joel Smith was cited as saying by AAP in court that both parties to the legal process were still weighing the impact of the superseding indictment.

Assange was absent from the court hearing again on Monday due to fears of getting infected with the new coronavirus. He was to attend by a video link from London's Belmarsh prison.

Judge Baraitser reportedly said that he would have to present a medical certificate to prove he is unwell if he chooses to skip the next hearing on July 27. The full extradition hearing is set to begin in September.