Federal prosectors in the United States have reportedly formulated secret charges that could eventually be pressed against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The sealed indictment against Assange was obtained by analysts at Stratfor, and news of it subsequently leaked after hackers associated with AntiSec executed a hack and extract attack against the security website.
Indeed, WikiLeaks recently began releasing more than 5 million Stratfor emails which illustrate “how a private intelligence agency works, and how they target individuals for their corporate and government clients.”
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the news that US prosecutors formulated a secret indictment against Assange more than 12 months ago comes as the WikiLeaks founder awaits a British Supreme Court decision on his appeal against extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations.
Although Assange has yet to be charged with an actual criminal offense in Sweden, he believes being transferred to Stockholm could eventually pave the way for an extradition to the US, where officials are likely to press espionage or conspiracy charges in retaliation for the publication of classified military and diplomatic reports allegedly provided by Pfc. Bradley Manning.
It should be noted that the US government has repeatedly declined to confirm or deny the existence of a WikiLeaks inquiry or the formulation of charges against Assange, reiterating only that an investigation is still ongoing.
