The Guardian: US was planning to poison or kidnap Assange

The US secret services planned to poison or kidnap the founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange -The Guardian.

According to the newspaper, US intelligence discussed such scenarios with the private security company US Global, which was actively spying on the journalist. The details of the operation were declassified by one of the company's former employees, who is currently serving as a witness in the case of Assange's extradition.

As the man said, in 2017, the American special services offered the head of UC Global, David Morales, to apply "more radical measures."

"It was proposed to leave the door of the Ecuadorian embassy open so that we could go inside and kidnap or poison Assange," the ex-employee of the firm said in court.

Also, the management of the company instructed the witness to install surveillance cameras in the diplomatic mission, which could record not only video, but also sound, and also broadcast live. According to Morales, it was necessary for "friends in the US" to see and hear what was happening at the embassy in real time.

To this, the man told the management that it was not technically possible to arrange such a thing. Then the head of the company sent instructions indicating how to do this. The witness notes that the document was clearly provided by a third party, which, in his opinion, was US intelligence.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was charged with "sexual harassment" and "rape" in Sweden in 2010. At the same time, the victims themselves reported that they were forced to testify under pressure.

Since 2012, Assange has been hiding from prosecution at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, fearing extradition to Stockholm. On April 11, 2019, he was detained at the request of the United States. A London court found the journalist guilty of violating the terms of bail and sentenced him to 11 months in prison.

Extradition hearings began on May 2, 2019, after which the United States brought Assange 17 new episodes of violations of the espionage law.

If extradited to the United States, Assange faces a prison sentence of up to 175 years.