Introduction

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is currently languishing in Belmarsh Prison, a high security prison in London. The United States has charged Assange with 18 different counts, including conspiracy to commit computer intrusion under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This is the first time that the US is using the Espionage Act to charge an individual for publishing secret documents. An existing US-UK treaty bans extradition of individuals for such political crimes.