WikiLeaks doubts ‘unauthorized’ US’ Assange ‘unlikely to face charges’ claims

Sydney – Wikileaks has doubts over new claims by US officials that Julian Assange is unlikely to face charges for publishing secret documents.

Assange will not be coming out of the Ecuadorean embassy in London, despite the new claims.

WikiLeaks said that it is doubtful about the latest report, based on comments from unnamed officials, arguing it could be a ruse to undermine support for the Australian.

The site said that anonymous US officials with obscure motivations and unknown authority do not have a good track record in this matter or in any other, news.com.au reports.

The Washington Post has reported that the US Justice Department concluded that it won’t charge Assange for publishing classified documents because it could not do so without also prosecuting news organisations and journalists, the report said.

Officials stressed that a formal decision was yet to be taken and a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks remained impaneled, it added.