The U.S. government has begun outlining its extradition case against Julian Assange in a London court.
The U.S. argues that the WikiLeaks founder is not a free-speech champion but an “ordinary” criminal who put many lives at risk with his secret-spilling.
Supporters of Assange gathered Monday outside the high-security courthouse.
American authorities want to try Assange on espionage charges that carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
They say he conspired with army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret files about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A final decision on extradition is not expected for months or even years. (AP)
