The United States has accused Julian Assange of putting the lives of informants and journalists at risk as the legal battle over whether the WikiLeaks founder can be extradited from Britain got underway. James Lewis QC represented the U.S. in a London courtroom Monday, and said that, in disseminating unredacted sensitive material, Assange endangered human-rights activists, dissidents, journalists, and their families. “The defense seek to suggest that the risk to these individuals who, by having the individuals revealed as informants, is somehow overstated,” said Lewis. “I would remind the court that these were individuals who were passing on information on regimes such as Iran and organizations such as al Qaeda.” Lewis also argued that journalism isn’t a blanket excuse to break the law. Assange, 48, is wanted in the U.S. to face 18 charges of attempted hacking and could face a 175-year prison sentence if found guilty. The charges stem from the release of hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and files covering areas including U.S. activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. After legal arguments, the hearing will be adjourned at the end of the week. The trial will resume in May.
