The long-standing case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has taken many twists and turns over the past 14 years, with political and legal implications that extend beyond the leaks themselves. Here is a summary of the key developments:
1. Biographical
Julian Assange, born in 1971 in Australia, gained recognition in the Australian hacker community before founding Wikileaks in 2006.
2. Founding WikiLeaks
Assange started WikiLeaks as a platform for exposing government and corporate wrongdoing, leading to numerous awards for his work.
3. Revelations about the US military
Wikileaks published videos and documents revealing war crimes committed by the US military during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, sourced from Chelsea Manning.
4. The source
Manning provided the data to Wikileaks, resulting in her imprisonment and later pardon by President Obama.
5. US reaction — part 1
The US government criticized Assange for endangering lives by releasing state secrets, but no direct action was taken at that time.
6. Abuse allegations from Sweden
Assange faced legal battles in Sweden over sexual assault allegations, leading him to seek asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
7. US reaction — part 2
Assange’s involvement in leaking “Clinton emails” during the 2016 US election campaign led to charges by the US Justice Department.
8. Advocates
Human rights and journalism organizations supported Assange, highlighting the importance of media freedom.
9. Prison in London
After being extradited from the embassy, Assange was sentenced to prison in London and faced ongoing legal battles.
10. Release
Assange was recently released after making a deal with the US justice system, marking the end of a lengthy legal saga.