The maximum 5 year sentence hanging over Julian Assange for computer hacking is a trick designed to fool him into agreeing to extradition, only to be hit with far bigger charges when he arrives in America, according to Kim Dotcom.

“The maximum 5 year sentence announced by US DOJ may be a tactic to tempt Assange to consider swift extradition,” tweeted the Internet entrepreneur and political activist.

“DOJ may have a superseding indictment with more charges ready on arrival. I can tell you from experience DOJ is full of liars and tricksters,” he added.

The maximum 5 year sentence announced by US DOJ may be a tactic to tempt Assange to consider swift extradition. DOJ may have a superseding indictment with more charges ready on arrival. I can tell you from experience DOJ is full of liars and tricksters. #FreeJulian — Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) April 11, 2019

The Wikileaks founder has been charged for engaging in a conspiracy with Chelsea Manning to crack a password on a Department of Defense computer in order to release classified information.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden slammed the weakness of the charge, pointing out that even the Obama administration refused to hit Assange with the same charge because it would have endangered journalism.

The weakness of the US charge against Assange is shocking. The allegation he tried (and failed?) to help crack a password during their world-famous reporting has been public for nearly a decade: it is the count Obama's DOJ refused to charge, saying it endangered journalism. https://t.co/xdTQ8xauB0 — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 11, 2019

The failure to charge Assange under the Espionage Act allows authorities to claim that they are not arresting a journalist for doing journalism.

However, many journalists on the left are celebrating Assange’s arrest, including Amanda Marcotte, who tweeted, “(If) Assange ends up in an American prison, put there by the administration he worked so hard to install, I admit I will enjoy a dark cackle at the irony.”

Is Assange ends up in an American prison, put there by the administration he worked so hard to install, I admit I will enjoy a dark cackle at the irony. — Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) April 11, 2019

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