| Summary/Abstract |
In May 2019, a federal grand jury returned an eighteen-count criminal indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. 1 Charges include conspiring to obtain national defense information, obtaining and disclosing national defense information, and conspiring to gain unauthorized access to a government computer network. All but one of the counts allege violations of the Espionage Act, World War I–era legislation enacted to protect sensitive information and safeguard national security. Assange is currently serving a 50-week sentence in the United Kingdom for violating the conditions of his bail in an unrelated case. An extradition hearing is scheduled for February 2020 in response to a formal request submitted by the United States.
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