The allegation was made on the second day of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing at Woolwich Crown Court in London. Assange is fighting against being forcibly sent to the United States to stand trial over the 2010 leak of classified materials relating to US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The defence team for the imprisoned founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, said in Tuesday's extradition hearing in London that their client tried to contact the White House to warn them that unredacted documents were about to go online, according to BBC.
Assange's lawyers rejected claims by prosecutors that the 48-year-old “knowingly” put hundreds of sources around the globe at risk of “torture and death” by the publication of classified materials containing names or other identifying details.
Attorneys argued in court that Assange phoned the White House and asked to speak with then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over “a matter of urgency” due to fears that information would be uploaded by third parties who gained access to the leaked documents.
Mark Summers QC, a member of Assange's defence team, said that the Australian national warned: “I don't understand why you're not seeing the urgency of this. Unless we do something, then people's lives are put at risk”.
The team argued that the extradition request “boldly and brazenly” misrepresents the facts.
Defence claims that Assange began redacting…
