Swedish Police Opens Criminal Complaint File ahead of Wednesday’s Obama Visit to Sweden

Swedish Police Opens Criminal Complaint File ahead of Wednesday’s Obama Visit to Sweden: Julian Assange’s lawyer Per E. Samuelson confirmed that Swedish police opened a criminal complaint file at 11.35 under case number 0201 K 268906-13. The complaint was delivered to Arlanda police at 09:24 this morning.

This is the first of four criminal complaints to be filed in different jurisdictions by WikiLeaks during the month of September against unlawful interference in its journalistic activities. A second criminal complaint has been filed today in a different jurisdiction. The details of this complaint will be announced today at 18:00 CET.

The criminal complaint has been filed ahead of the arrival of the US Obama delegation. The complaint concerns the likely unlawful seizure of WikiLeaks property on 27 September 2010, following its publication of thousands of classified US intelligence documents on the war in Afghanistan. WikiLeaks’ publisher Julian Assange said: “Swedish authorities have the opportunity to demonstrate that no one, including state officials, is above the law.”

The complaint details a number of matters not previously made public and which WikiLeaks decided to withhold until the conclusion of the court martial of PFC Chelsea Manning.

The property seized included evidence of a war crime perpetrated by US forces in Afganistan in which more than sixty women and children were killed, known as the Garani massacre. The filing follows the revelation of unlawful FBI and US intelligence activities against WikiLeaks in Europe that have been forced onto the public record through a Parliamentary inquiry in Iceland and the Manning court martial.

The 186-page affidavit now made public details ongoing and illegal attempts by US authorities to interfere with WikiLeaks’ publishing and journalistic activities. Attacks such as those that WikiLeaks has endured have become a concerning trend, as exemplified by the recent abuse of the UK Terrorism Act to seize electronic devices and other materials belonging to those working on the Edward Snowden US mass surveillance revelations.

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks’ publisher, said: “Now is the time for everyone to take a stand to put an end to Obama’s war against national security journalism – at home and abroad. This filing, recent court victories, and our successful intervention in the case of Edward Snowden, represent the continuing reorientation of WikiLeaks from legal defence to legal attack.”