Assange risked lives, USlawyer tells UK court

London, February 24

Julian Assange is wanted for crimes that put at risk the lives of people in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan who had helped the West, some of whom later disappeared, said a lawyer acting for the United States in its bid to extradite him.

Almost a decade since his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking hundreds of thousands of secret US documents, Assange, 48, is fighting extradition from Britain to the United States, where he is accused of espionage and hacking. James Lewis told London’s Woolwich Crown Court that Assange was wanted not because he embarrassed the authorities but because he put informants and rights activists at risk of torture or death.

Supporters hail Assange as an anti-establishment hero. Chants from 100 of his backers outside could be clearly heard inside. — Reuters