WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said he stands by an earlier pledge to face trial in the U. S., but he is first urging federal investigators to name the exact charges against him.
“I stand by what I said,” Assange stated during a webcast on Thursday. “We look forward to having a conversation with the DOJ (U. S. Department of Justice) about what the correct way forward is. ”
Assange previously made his pledge on the condition that President Barack Obama grant clemency to Chelsea Manning, a former U. S. soldier who was jailed for disclosing sensitive documents to WikiLeaks back in 2010.
On Tuesday, Obama commuted Manning’s sentence. She’ll now be released in May, after service nearly seven years behind bars. However, Obama said his decision had nothing to do with Assange’s offer, even as the U. S. may be building a case against the WikiLeaks founder for publishing government secrets.
Assange is currently hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in the U. K., where he’s been granted asylum.
