The charges include conspiracy to obtain, receive and disclose national defense information as well as conspire to commit computer intrusion, the document said.

The Justice Department said in a release the indictment alleges that Assange was complicit with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in illegally obtaining and disclosing classified documents concerning the national defense.

"Specifically, the superseding indictment alleges that Assange conspired with Manning; obtained from Manning and aided and abetted her in obtaining classified information with reason to believe that the information was to be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of a foreign nation… and aided and abetted Manning in communicating classified documents to Assange," the release said.

The Justice Department also said the indictment charges that Assange published on WikiLeaks documents with the unredacted names of people, like journalists, political dissidents and local Afghans and Iraqis, who provided information to the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and US diplomats worldwide.

Such actions put at risk both the named sources and US national security, the Justice Department said.
The Justice Department explained that since late 2009, Assange and WikiLeaks actively solicited US classified information, including by publishing a list of "Most Wanted Leaks."
Manning used access granted to her as an intelligence analyst and provided to Assange databases containing "approximately 90,000 Afghanistan war-related significant activity reports, 400,000 Iraq war-related significant activities reports, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessment briefs, and 250,000 US Department of State cables," the release said.
The indictment alleges that Manning and Assange engaged in real-time discussions regarding Manning’s transmission of classified records to Assange.

"The discussions also reflect that Assange actively encouraged Manning to provide more information and agreed to crack a password hash stored on US Department of Defense computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet), a United States government network used for classified documents and communications," the release said. "Assange is also charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to crack that password hash."

If convicted, Assange faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison on each count except for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, for which he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The United States has to provide the UK government with all necessary documents for Assange's extradition until June 12.
Assange's lawyers and supporters said they fear that he could be charged under the Espionage Act in the United States and face the death penalty.