Assange could face death penalty in U.S.: lawyers

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will argue he should not be extradited from Britain to Sweden over alleged sex crimes because he could end up in the United States facing the death penalty, his lawyers said on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Australian computer expert, who has infuriated Washington by releasing details of secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, is wanted for questioning by Sweden over allegations of sexual offences made by two WikiLeaks volunteers.
Following his brief appearance in a London court on Tuesday, lawyers published an outline of the defense he will use at a full extradition hearing next month, in which they said Assange faced possible execution in the United States.
“There is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the U.S. will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA,” said the document on the
website of law firm Finers Stephens Innocent.
“Indeed, if Mr Assange were rendered to the USA, without assurances that the death penalty would not be carried out, there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty.”
If Assange ends up in the United States, the document adds, there is “a real risk” he would be subject to ill-treament or even torture, both prohibited under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Assange, who has protested his innocence over the sex offence allegations, sat behind a glass screen at London’s top security Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court during a hearing lasting less than half an hour.
Afterwards, Assange said his organization would press ahead with its release of documents despite his own legal battle. WikiLeaks said in December it planned to release documents that would point to “unethical practices” at a major U.S. bank, widely thought to be Bank of America.