https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/...sange-wikileaks-offers-extradition-to-us.html
Asked at the news conference why he is willing to go to the United States where there is no public extradition order and not willing to go to Sweden, Mr. Assange said that American and British officials refused to tell his lawyers whether there was a sealed indictment or a sealed extradition order against him.
“In the U.S. that’s exactly the problem,” he said. “Is there an extradition order? Is there a charge? The
U.S. Justice Department operates exactly as if there is a sealed indictment,” he said. “The British government refuses to confirm or deny if there is an extradition order.”
Mr. Assange said that either there was “a deliberate attempt by the U.S. Justice Department to keep me and WikiLeaks in a state of uncertainty, abusing the process,” or, he said, “there is a sealed indictment.”
“I’ve always been willing to go to the United States provided my rights are respected, because this is a case that should never have occurred,” Mr. Assange said, adding that he was confident of winning any case brought against him.
The
F.B.I. continues to investigate the Manning leaks. Any decision on whether to charge or to extradite Mr. Assange will now fall to the administration of Donald J. Trump.