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{{short description|Australian editor, publisher, activist and founder of WikiLeaks}} |
{{short description|Australian programmer, editor, publisher, activist and founder of WikiLeaks}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} |
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{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}} |
{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}} |
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| caption = Assange in 2014 |
| caption = Assange in 2014 |
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| birth_name = Julian Paul Hawkins |
| birth_name = Julian Paul Hawkins |
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| nationality = |
| nationality = [[Australian]] |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1971|07|03}} |
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1971|07|03}} |
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| birth_place = [[Townsville]], [[Queensland]], Australia |
| birth_place = [[Townsville]], [[Queensland]], Australia |
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| conviction = Sentenced to [[good behaviour bond]] and reparations in 1996 for hacking offences. Sentenced to 50 weeks in prison, on 1 May 2019, for [[Bail#Failure to comply|breaching bail]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48118908|publisher=BBC News|title=Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder jailed over bail breach|date=1 May 2019}}</ref> |
| conviction = Sentenced to [[good behaviour bond]] and reparations in 1996 for hacking offences. Sentenced to 50 weeks in prison, on 1 May 2019, for [[Bail#Failure to comply|breaching bail]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48118908|publisher=BBC News|title=Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder jailed over bail breach|date=1 May 2019}}</ref> |
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}} |
}} |
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| spouse = {{marriage|Teresa Doe|1989|1999|reason=div.}} |
| spouse = {{marriage|Teresa Doe{{cn|date=September 2020}}|1989|1999|reason=div.}}{{cn|date=September 2020}} |
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| partner = |
| partner = Stella Moris-Smith Robertson (2015–present; engaged) |
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| children = 4 |
| children = 4{{cn|date=September 2020}} |
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| occupation = {{hlist|Editor|programmer}} |
| occupation = {{hlist|Editor|programmer}} |
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| party = {{ubl|[[WikiLeaks Party|WikiLeaks]]<!-- EDITORS: Please do not change capitalisation of "L"--> (2012–2015)}} |
| party = {{ubl|[[WikiLeaks Party|WikiLeaks]]<!-- EDITORS: Please do not change capitalisation of "L"--> (2012–2015)}} |
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'''Julian Paul Assange''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|s|ɑː|n|ʒ}};<ref>{{YouTube|i85fX9-sKYo|"The Julian Assange Show: Cypherpunks Uncut (p.1)"}}</ref> |
'''Julian Paul Assange''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|s|ɑː|n|ʒ}};<ref>{{YouTube|i85fX9-sKYo|"The Julian Assange Show: Cypherpunks Uncut (p.1)"}}</ref> {{né|'''Hawkins'''}}; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and [[activist]] who founded [[WikiLeaks]] in 2006. WikiLeaks came to international attention in 2010 when it published a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army [[Intelligence analysis|intelligence analyst]] [[Chelsea Manning]]. These leaks included the [[July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike|Baghdad airstrike ''Collateral Murder'']] video (April 2010),<ref name="ReferenceA">{{YouTube|5rXPrfnU3G0|''Collateral Murder''}}, 5 April 2000. Retrieved 28 March 2014.</ref><ref name="beeb150313" /> the [[Afghan War documents leak|Afghanistan war logs]] (July 2010), the [[Iraq War documents leak|Iraq war logs]] (October 2010), and [[United States diplomatic cables leak|Cablegate]] (November 2010). |
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In November 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for Assange |
In November 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of [[sexual assault]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11803703 |publisher=BBC News|title=Wikileaks' Assange faces international arrest warrant |date=20 November 2010}}</ref> Assange denied the allegations. After failing in his battle against extradition to Sweden, he breached bail and took refuge in the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Embassy of Ecuador in London]] in June 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9343630/Julian-Assange-faces-re-arrest-over-breaching-his-bail-condition-by-seeking-asylum-in-Ecuador.html|title=Julian Assange faces re-arrest over breaching his bail condition by seeking asylum in Ecuador|last=Bowater|first=Donna|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=20 June 2012|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He was granted asylum by [[Ecuador]] due to fears of political persecution and extradition to the United States.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19289649 |publisher=BBC |title=Julian Assange: Why Ecuador is offering asylum |first=Arturo |last=Wallace |date=16 August 2012 |accessdate=16 May 2019 }}</ref> |
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In July 2016, WikiLeaks released documents from the Democratic National Committee showing that it favoured Hillary Clinton’s campaign and had tried to undercut Bernie Sanders, leading to the resignation of party chairwoman [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]]. In 2018, Special Counsel [[Robert Mueller]] charged twelve [[Russian Intelligence Community|Russian intelligence]] officers with computer hacking and working with WikiLeaks and other organisations to disseminate the documents. Assange denied any co-operation with Russia in relation to the leaks.<ref name=Bloomberg25Jul2016>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-25/cybersecurity-experts-say-russia-hacked-the-democrats|title=Cyber-Experts Say Russia Hacked the Democratic National Committee|last=Lake|first=Eli|date=25 July 2016|newspaper=Bloomberg View|access-date=23 October 2016|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=FoxNews26Aug2016>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/08/26/assange-slams-incredible-politicization-media-covering-campaign.html |title=Assange blasts media for 'politicization' of election campaign in Fox interviews |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |date=26 August 2016 |access-date=25 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="urge">{{cite news |first1=Jim |last1=Sciutto |first2=Nicole |last2=Gaouette |first3=Ryan |last3=Browne |date=14 October 2016 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/13/politics/russia-us-election/ |title=US finds growing evidence Russia feeding emails to WikiLeaks |publisher=[[CNN]] |accessdate=14 October 2016 }}</ref> |
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On 11 April 2019, Assange's asylum was withdrawn following a series of disputes with the Ecuadorian authorities. The police were invited into the embassy, and [[Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange|he was arrested]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/assange-arrest-ecuador-prevent-alleged-panic-button-2019-4|title=Assange's arrest was designed to make sure he didn't press a mysterious panic button he said would bring dire consequences for Ecuador|last=Ma|first=Alexandra|date=14 April 2019|website=Business Insider|accessdate=14 April 2019}}</ref> He was found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison.<ref name="bbc-19">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48118908|title=Julian Assange jailed over bail breach|date=1 May 2019|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The United States government unsealed an indictment against Assange, related to the leaks provided by Chelsea Manning. On 23 May 2019, the United States government further charged Assange with violating the [[Espionage Act of 1917]]. Editors from newspapers including ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and ''[[The New York Times]]'' criticised the government's decision to charge Assange under the Espionage Act.<ref>{{cite news |title=The U.S. says Julian Assange 'is no journalist.' Here's why that shouldn't matter |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/05/25/us-says-julian-assange-is-no-journalist-heres-why-that-shouldnt-matter/?noredirect=on |work=The Washington Post |date=25 May 2019|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Washington Post, New York Times editors blast Assange indictment |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/445426-washington-post-new-york-times-editors-blast-assange-indictment |work=The Hill |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> In November, Swedish prosecutors closed their investigation, saying that the evidence had weakened over time.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50473792|title=Julian Assange: Sweden drops rape investigation|publisher=BBC|date=19 November 2019}}</ref> Assange is incarcerated in [[HM Prison Belmarsh]], reportedly in ill health.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Presse|first=Agence France|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/nov/25/julian-assanges-health-is-so-bad-he-could-die-in-prison-say-60-doctors|title=Julian Assange's health is so bad he 'could die in prison', say 60 doctors|date=25 November 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=21 March 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> On 2 May 2019, hearings began into the US government's request to extradite him. |
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==Early life== |
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Assange was born Julian Paul Hawkins on 3 July 1971 in [[Townsville]], [[Queensland]],<ref name="Kwek">{{cite news |first=Glenda |last=Kwek |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/magnet-for-trouble-how-assange-went-from-simple-island-life-to-hightech-public-enemy-number-one-20101208-18pb3.html |title=Magnet for trouble: how Assange went from simple island life to high-tech public enemy number one |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=8 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="born and bred">{{cite news |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-a-born-and-bred-queenslander/news-story/79b09c0f921e077bc4473af5c5482989 |title=Wikileaks founder Julian Assange a born and bred Queenslander |work=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date=29 July 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/29/158481_news.html |title=Rogue website author local lad |first=Andrew |last=Strutton |date=29 July 2010 |work=[[Townsville Bulletin]] |accessdate=27 October 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919234630/http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/29/158481_news.html |archivedate=19 September 2012 }}</ref> to Christine Ann Hawkins (b. 1951),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18203286 |title=Family notices |pages=44 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=10 March 1951 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> a visual artist,<ref name="leigh and harding">{{cite book |isbn=978-0-85265-239-8 |title = Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy |title-link=WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy |last1=Leigh |first1=David |authorlink=David Leigh (journalist) |
Assange was born Julian Paul Hawkins on 3 July 1971 in [[Townsville]], [[Queensland]],<ref name="Kwek">{{cite news |first=Glenda |last=Kwek |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/magnet-for-trouble-how-assange-went-from-simple-island-life-to-hightech-public-enemy-number-one-20101208-18pb3.html |title=Magnet for trouble: how Assange went from simple island life to high-tech public enemy number one |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=8 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="born and bred">{{cite news |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-a-born-and-bred-queenslander/news-story/79b09c0f921e077bc4473af5c5482989 |title=Wikileaks founder Julian Assange a born and bred Queenslander |work=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date=29 July 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/29/158481_news.html |title=Rogue website author local lad |first=Andrew |last=Strutton |date=29 July 2010 |work=[[Townsville Bulletin]] |accessdate=27 October 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919234630/http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/29/158481_news.html |archivedate=19 September 2012 }}</ref> to Christine Ann Hawkins (b. 1951),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18203286 |title=Family notices |pages=44 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=10 March 1951 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> a visual artist,<ref name="leigh and harding">{{cite book |isbn=978-0-85265-239-8 |title = Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy |title-link=WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy |last1=Leigh |first1=David |authorlink=David Leigh (journalist) |
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|last2=Harding |first2=Luke |year=2011 |authorlink2=Luke Harding }}</ref>{{rp|34}} and John Shipton, an anti-war activist and builder.<ref name="ShiptonGuilliat">{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Guilliatt |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/like-father-like-son/story-e6frg8h6-1226663757794/ |title=For John Shipton, the Wikileaks Party isn't just a political cause |work=[[The Australian]] |date=15 June 2013 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> The couple separated before their son was born.<ref name="ShiptonGuilliat"/> |
|last2=Harding |first2=Luke |year=2011 |authorlink2=Luke Harding }}</ref>{{rp|34}} and John Shipton, an anti-war activist and builder.<ref name="ShiptonGuilliat">{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Guilliatt |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/like-father-like-son/story-e6frg8h6-1226663757794/ |title=For John Shipton, the Wikileaks Party isn't just a political cause |work=[[The Australian]] |date=15 June 2013 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}} The couple separated before their son was born.<ref name="ShiptonGuilliat"/> |
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When Julian was a year old, his mother married Brett Assange<ref name="ManneCypherpunk">{{cite news|author=Robert Manne|url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2011/february/1324596189/robert-manne/cypherpunk-revolutionary|title=The cypherpunk revolutionary: Julian Assange|work=The Monthly|date=March 2011|access-date=16 March 2014 |
When Julian was a year old, his mother married Brett Assange<ref name="ManneCypherpunk">{{cite news|author=Robert Manne|url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2011/february/1324596189/robert-manne/cypherpunk-revolutionary|title=The cypherpunk revolutionary: Julian Assange|work=The Monthly|date=March 2011|access-date=16 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="Khatchadourian">{{cite news |first=Raffi |last=Khatchadourian |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/06/07/no-secrets |title=No secrets: Julian Assange's mission for total transparency |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=7 June 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/09/assange.profile/ |title=The secret life of Julian Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617005412/http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/09/assange.profile/ |archivedate=17 June 2013 |url-status=live |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=2 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> (also known as Richard Assange),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2944290/|title=Richard Assange|website=IMDb}}</ref> an actor, with whom she ran a small theatre company and whom Julian regards as his father (choosing Assange as his surname).<ref name="LismoreFeain">{{cite news |first=Dominic |last=Feain |url=https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/wikileaks-founders-lismore-roots/595626/ |title=WikiLeaks founder's Lismore roots |work=[[The Northern Star]] |date=29 July 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Christine had a house in [[Nelly Bay, Queensland|Nelly Bay]] on [[Magnetic Island]], where they lived from time to time until it was destroyed by fire.<ref name="born and bred"/> |
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Christine and Brett Assange divorced around 1979. Christine then became involved with Leif Meynell, also known as Leif Hamilton, a member of Australian cult [[The Family (Australian New Age group)|The Family]], and they had a son before breaking up in 1982.<ref name="Kwek" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/julian-assange-we-just-kept-moving-2359423.html |title=Julian Assange: 'We just kept moving'|date=23 September 2011 |accessdate=27 October 2019 |first=Julian |last=Assange }}</ref><ref name="leigh and harding"/>{{rp|37–38}} Julian had a nomadic childhood, living in over 30<ref name="AssangeTime">{{cite news |first=Massimo |last=Calabresi |url=https://time.com/5568727/wikileaks-war-on-secrecy/ |title=WikiLeaks' war on secrecy: truth's consequences |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=2 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="InterviewObristOne">{{cite news |first=Hans Ulrich |last=Obrist |url=http://www.e-flux.com/journal/view/232 |title=In conversation with Julian Assange, Part I |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507214151/http://e-flux.com/journal/view/232 |archivedate=7 May 2011 |work=e-flux |date=May 2011 |accessdate=14 March 2014 }}</ref> |
Christine and Brett Assange divorced around 1979. Christine then became involved with Leif Meynell, also known as Leif Hamilton, a member of Australian cult [[The Family (Australian New Age group)|The Family]], and they had a son before breaking up in 1982.<ref name="Kwek" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/julian-assange-we-just-kept-moving-2359423.html |title=Julian Assange: 'We just kept moving'|date=23 September 2011 |accessdate=27 October 2019 |first=Julian |last=Assange }}</ref><ref name="leigh and harding"/>{{rp|37–38}} Julian had a nomadic childhood, living in over 30 Australian towns and cities by the time he reached his mid-teens,<ref name="AssangeTime">{{cite news |first=Massimo |last=Calabresi |url=https://time.com/5568727/wikileaks-war-on-secrecy/ |title=WikiLeaks' war on secrecy: truth's consequences |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=2 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="InterviewObristOne">{{cite news |first=Hans Ulrich |last=Obrist |url=http://www.e-flux.com/journal/view/232 |title=In conversation with Julian Assange, Part I |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507214151/http://e-flux.com/journal/view/232 |archivedate=7 May 2011 |work=e-flux |date=May 2011 |accessdate=14 March 2014 }}</ref> when he settled with his mother and half-brother in Melbourne.<ref name="ManneCypherpunk" /><ref name="Ghosting">{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=O'Hagan |url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n05/andrew-ohagan/ghosting |title=Ghosting: Julian Assange |work=[[London Review of Books]] |volume=36 |number=5 |date=6 March 2014 |pages=5–26 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> Assange attended many schools, including [[Goolmangar, New South Wales|Goolmangar Primary School]] in [[New South Wales]] (1979–1983)<ref name="LismoreFeain"/> and [[Townsville State High School]] in Queensland<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gilimbaa.com.au/newsarchive/535 |title=Jeremy Geia first Australian to interview Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126000224/http://www.gilimbaa.com.au/newsarchive/535 |archivedate=26 January 2014 |work=Gilimbaa |date=24 October 2012 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> as well as being schooled at home.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> |
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In 1987, aged 16, Assange began [[Security hacker|hacking]] under the name ''Mendax'',<ref name="Khatchadourian"/><ref name="Underground">{{cite book |isbn=1863305955 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=whdGAAAACAAJ |title=Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier |last1=Dreyfus |first1=Suelette |year=1997 }}</ref> Latin for "liar".<ref>''Cassell's Latin Dictionary'', Marchant, J.R.V, & Charles, Joseph F., (Eds.), Revised Edition, 1928, p.340</ref> He and two others, known as "Trax" and "Prime Suspect", formed a hacking group they called "the International Subversives".<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> He is thought{{by whom|date=September 2020}} to have been involved in the [[WANK (computer worm)|WANK]] (Worms Against Nuclear Killers) hack at NASA in 1989, but he does not acknowledge this.<ref name="ManOfMystery"/><ref name="leigh and harding"/>{{rp|42}} |
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Assange attended many schools, including [[Goolmangar, New South Wales|Goolmangar Primary School]] in [[New South Wales]] (1979–1983)<ref name="LismoreFeain"/> and [[Townsville State High School]] in Queensland<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gilimbaa.com.au/newsarchive/535 |title=Jeremy Geia first Australian to interview Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126000224/http://www.gilimbaa.com.au/newsarchive/535 |archivedate=26 January 2014 |work=Gilimbaa |date=24 October 2012 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> as well as being schooled at home.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> He studied programming, mathematics and physics at [[Central Queensland University]] (1994)<ref>{{cite news |first=Frazer |last=Pearce |url=https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/wikileaks-mastermind-usq-university-julian-assange/725740/ |title=Assange studied at CQU |work=[[The Morning Bulletin]] |date=18 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> and the [[University of Melbourne]] (2003–2006),<ref name="ManneCypherpunk"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/524296/Meet-the-Aussie-behind-Wikileaks |title=Meet the Aussie behind Wikileaks |work=[[Stuff (company)|Stuff]] |date=7 August 2008 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> but did not complete a degree.<ref name="DanielAssange">{{cite news |first=Sarah |last=Whyte |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/driven-to-dissent--like-father-like-son-20101204-18kpr.html |title=Driven to dissent—like father, like son |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=6 December 2010 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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While in his teens, Assange married a girl named Teresa, and in 1989 they had a son, Daniel, who became a software designer.<ref name="ManneCypherpunk"/><ref name="DanielAssange"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Johns-Wickberg |url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2010/09/17/daniel-assange-i-never-thought-wikileaks-would-succeed/ |title=Daniel Assange: I never thought WikiLeaks would succeed |work=[[Crikey]] |date=17 September 2010 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref> The couple separated and disputed custody of their child until 1999.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> During the time of the custody dispute, Assange's brown hair turned white.<ref name="Kwek"/> |
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In September 1991, Assange was discovered hacking into the Melbourne master terminal of [[Nortel]], a Canadian [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] telecommunications corporation.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> The [[Australian Federal Police]] tapped Assange's phone line (he was using a [[modem]]), raided his home at the end of October<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Guilliatt |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/rudd-government-blacklist-hacker-monitors-police/story-e6frg8yx-1225718288350 |title=Rudd Government blacklist hacker monitors police |work=[[The Australian]] |date=30 May 2009 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}} and eventually charged him in 1994 with 31 counts of hacking and related crimes.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> In December 1996, he pleaded guilty to 24 charges (the others were dropped) and was ordered to pay reparations of A$2,100 and released on a [[good behaviour bond]].<ref name="ManOfMystery">{{cite news |first=Bernard |last=Lagan |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/international-man-of-mystery-20100409-ryvf.html |title=International man of mystery |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=10 April 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="TeenHacker">{{cite news|last1=Leigh|first1=David|author-link1=David Leigh (journalist)|last2=Harding|first2=Luke Daniel|author-link2=Luke Harding|date=30 January 2011|title=Julian Assange: the teen hacker who became insurgent in information war|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/30/julian-assange-wikileaks-profile|work=[[The Guardian]]|publisher=Guardian News & Media|access-date=17 March 2014}}</ref> He received a lenient penalty due to the absence of malicious or mercenary intent and his disrupted childhood.<ref name="TeenHacker"/><ref name="HackingTrialSMH">{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/for-lonely-teenager-assange-a-computer-was-his-only-friend-20110114-19rcq.html|title=For lonely teenager Assange, a computer was his only friend|last=Lowe|first=Adrian|date=15 January 2011|website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=31 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="HackingTrialOz">{{cite news |first=Lauren |last=Wilson |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/assanges-hacking-offences-laid-bare/story-e6frg6nf-1225989039445 |title=Assange's hacking offences laid bare |work=[[The Australian]] |date=17 January 2011 |accessdate=31 March 2014 }}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}}<ref name="WildChild">{{cite news |first1=Stuart |last1=Rintoul |first2=Sean |last2=Parnell |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/julian-assange-wild-child-of-free-speech/story-fn775xjq-1225969230839 |title=Julian Assange, wild child of free speech |work=[[The Australian]] |date=11 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}} |
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From 2009 to 2012, Assange was in a relationship with British journalist [[Sarah Harrison (journalist)|Sarah Harrison]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Faiola |first1=Anthony |last2=Adam |first2=Karla |date=5 July 2013 |title=Sarah Harrison, the woman from WikiLeaks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/sarah-harrison-the-woman-from-wikileaks/2013/07/05/8631200e-e406-11e2-bffd-37a36ddab820_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |department=World |access-date=11 August 2019 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In a 2015 open letter to then-French president [[François Hollande]], he stated that another of his children lives in France with the child's mother. He also said his family had faced death threats and harassment because of his work, forcing them to change identities and reduce contact with him.<ref name="Hollande"/> |
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Assange studied programming, mathematics and physics at [[Central Queensland University]] (1994)<ref>{{cite news |first=Frazer |last=Pearce |url=https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/wikileaks-mastermind-usq-university-julian-assange/725740/ |title=Assange studied at CQU |work=[[The Morning Bulletin]] |date=18 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and the [[University of Melbourne]] (2003–2006),<ref name="ManneCypherpunk"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/524296/Meet-the-Aussie-behind-Wikileaks |title=Meet the Aussie behind Wikileaks |work=[[Stuff (company)|Stuff]] |date=7 August 2008 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> but did not complete a degree.<ref name="DanielAssange">{{cite news |first=Sarah |last=Whyte |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/driven-to-dissent--like-father-like-son-20101204-18kpr.html |title=Driven to dissent—like father, like son |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=6 December 2010 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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In 2015, Assange began a relationship with Stella Moris-Smith Robertson, his South African-born lawyer. The couple became engaged in 2017. The relationship was first revealed by Moris-Smith Robertson in 2020, during an interview with the [[Mail on Sunday]], because she feared for Assange’s life and wanted to speak out. She also revealed that she and Assange had two children together, both of whom were conceived during Assange’s time at the Ecuadorean embassy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aap.com.au/assanges-partner-pleas-for-his-release/ |title=Assange's partner pleas for his release |publisher=[[Australian Associated Press]] |date=12 April 2020 |accessdate=12 April 2020 |author=Jones, Alan}}</ref><ref name=guardian200412>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/12/release-julian-assange-says-woman-who-had-two-children-with-him-while-in-embassy|title=Release Julian Assange, says woman who had two children with him while in embassy|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Otte|first=Jedidajah|date=12 April 2020|access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=sbs200412>{{cite news |title=Julian Assange's fiancee publicly joins the campaign for his release |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/julian-assange-s-fiancee-publicly-joins-the-campaign-for-his-release |accessdate=12 April 2020 |agency=AAP |publisher=SBS |date=12 April 2020}}</ref> |
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==Hacking== |
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In 1987, aged 16, Assange began [[Security hacker|hacking]] under the name ''Mendax'',<ref name="Khatchadourian"/><ref name="Underground">{{cite book |isbn=1863305955 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=whdGAAAACAAJ |title=Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier |last1=Dreyfus |first1=Suelette |year=1997 }}</ref> Latin for "liar".<ref>''Cassell's Latin Dictionary'', Marchant, J.R.V, & Charles, Joseph F., (Eds.), Revised Edition, 1928, p.340</ref> He and two others, known as "Trax" and "Prime Suspect", formed a hacking group they called "the International Subversives".<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> He is thought to have been involved in the [[WANK (computer worm)|WANK]] (Worms Against Nuclear Killers) hack at NASA in 1989, but he does not acknowledge this.<ref name="ManOfMystery"/><ref name="leigh and harding"/>{{rp|42}} |
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In September 1991, Assange was discovered hacking into the Melbourne master terminal of [[Nortel]], a Canadian [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] telecommunications corporation.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> The [[Australian Federal Police]] tapped Assange's phone line (he was using a [[modem]]), raided his home at the end of October<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Guilliatt |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/rudd-government-blacklist-hacker-monitors-police/story-e6frg8yx-1225718288350 |title=Rudd Government blacklist hacker monitors police |work=[[The Australian]] |date=30 May 2009 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> and eventually charged him in 1994 with 31 counts of hacking and related crimes.<ref name="Khatchadourian"/> In December 1996, he pleaded guilty to 24 charges (the others were dropped) and was ordered to pay reparations of A$2,100 and released on a [[good behaviour bond]].<ref name="ManOfMystery">{{cite news |first=Bernard |last=Lagan |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/international-man-of-mystery-20100409-ryvf.html |title=International man of mystery |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=10 April 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="TeenHacker">{{cite news|last1=Leigh|first1=David|author-link1=David Leigh (journalist)|last2=Harding|first2=Luke Daniel|author-link2=Luke Harding|date=30 January 2011|title=Julian Assange: the teen hacker who became insurgent in information war|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/30/julian-assange-wikileaks-profile|work=[[The Guardian]]|publisher=Guardian News & Media|access-date=17 March 2014}}</ref> The perceived absence of malicious or mercenary intent and his disrupted childhood were cited to justify the lenient penalty.<ref name="TeenHacker"/><ref name="HackingTrialSMH">{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/for-lonely-teenager-assange-a-computer-was-his-only-friend-20110114-19rcq.html|title=For lonely teenager Assange, a computer was his only friend|last=Lowe|first=Adrian|date=15 January 2011|website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=31 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="HackingTrialOz">{{cite news |first=Lauren |last=Wilson |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/assanges-hacking-offences-laid-bare/story-e6frg6nf-1225989039445 |title=Assange's hacking offences laid bare |work=[[The Australian]] |date=17 January 2011 |accessdate=31 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="WildChild">{{cite news |first1=Stuart |last1=Rintoul |first2=Sean |last2=Parnell |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/julian-assange-wild-child-of-free-speech/story-fn775xjq-1225969230839 |title=Julian Assange, wild child of free speech |work=[[The Australian]] |date=11 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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==Programming== |
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[[File:Julian Assange full.jpg|thumb|Assange, c. 2006]] |
[[File:Julian Assange full.jpg|thumb|Assange, c. 2006]] |
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In 1993, Assange gave technical advice to the Victoria Police Child Exploitation Unit that assisted in prosecutions.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Butcher |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/assange-helped-our-police-catch-child-pornographers-20110211-1aqnl.html |title=Assange helped our police catch child pornographers |work=[[The Age]] |date=12 February 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/legal-threats-as-assange-laid-bare/news-story/60875c11e1109011f247acb73729d1d9|title=Julian Assange helped crack Victorian kid porn ring|last=Le Grand|first=Cipe|date=12 February 2011|work=The Australian|access-date=3 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same year, he was involved in starting one of the first public Internet service providers in Australia, Suburbia Public Access Network.<ref name="ManneCypherpunk"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://suburbia.org.au/Suburbia_Public_Access_Network/home.html |title=Suburbia Public Access Network |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> He began programming in 1994, authoring or co-authoring the [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] port scanner Strobe (1995),<ref>{{cite web |first=Julian |last=Assange |url=https://seclists.org/bugtraq/1995/Mar/65 |title=Strobe v1.01 super optimised TCP port surveyor |work=Seclists.org |date=9 March 1995 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://hpux.connect.org.uk/hppd/hpux/Networking/Admin/strobe-1.06 |title=Strobe 1.06: A super optimised TCP port surveyor |work=HP-UX Porting and Archive Centre |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> patches to the open-source database [[PostgreSQL]] (1996),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.postgresql.org/community/contributors/ |title=Contributor profiles |work=Postgresql.org |accessdate=29 November 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=postgresql.git;a=search;h=HEAD;s=Julian+Assange;st=author |title=PostgreSQL commits |work=Git.postgresql.org |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> the Usenet caching software NNTPCache (1996),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spinics.net/lists/nntpcache/threads.html |title=NNTPCache Mailing List |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> the [[Rubberhose (file system)|Rubberhose]] [[deniable encryption]] system (1997)<ref>{{cite news |first=Ryan |last=Singel|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/07/wikileaks-2/ |title=Immune to critics, secret-spilling WikiLeaks plans to save journalism{{nbsp}}... and the world |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=3 July 2008 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Suelette |last=Dreyfus |url=https://orig14.deviantart.net/a61d/f/2013/121/3/8/rubber_hose_cryptographically_deniable_file_system_by_l33tn3rdz-d63qcd2.pdf |title=The Idiot Savants' Guide to Rubberhose |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> (which reflected his growing interest in cryptography),<ref name="JustBetweenUs">{{cite news |first=Suelette |last=Dreyfus |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/network-this-is-just-between-us-and-the-spies-1126316.html |title=Network: This is just between us (and the spies) |work=[[The Independent]] |date=15 November 1999 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> and [[Surfraw]], a command-line interface for web-based search engines (2000).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://surfraw.alioth.debian.org/ |title=Surfraw: Shell Users' Revolutionary Front Rage Against the Web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517055745/http://surfraw.alioth.debian.org/ |archivedate=17 May 2018 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> During this period, he also moderated the AUCRYPTO forum,<ref name="JustBetweenUs"/> ran Best of Security, a website "giving advice on computer security" that had 5,000 subscribers in 1996,<ref name="leigh and harding"/>{{rp|45}} and contributed research to [[Suelette Dreyfus]]'s ''[[Underground (Dreyfus book)|Underground]]'' (1997), a book about Australian hackers, including the International Subversives.<ref name="Underground"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Annabel |last=Symington |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2009/10/start/exposed-wikileaks-secrets |title=Exposed: Wikileaks' secrets |work=[[Wired UK|Wired]] |date=1 September 2009 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> In 1998, he co-founded the company Earthmen Technology.<ref name="WildChild"/> |
In 1993, Assange gave technical advice to the Victoria Police Child Exploitation Unit that assisted in prosecutions.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Butcher |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/assange-helped-our-police-catch-child-pornographers-20110211-1aqnl.html |title=Assange helped our police catch child pornographers |work=[[The Age]] |date=12 February 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/legal-threats-as-assange-laid-bare/news-story/60875c11e1109011f247acb73729d1d9|title=Julian Assange helped crack Victorian kid porn ring|last=Le Grand|first=Cipe|date=12 February 2011|work=The Australian|access-date=3 January 2020|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In the same year, he was involved in starting one of the first public Internet service providers in Australia, Suburbia Public Access Network.<ref name="ManneCypherpunk"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://suburbia.org.au/Suburbia_Public_Access_Network/home.html |title=Suburbia Public Access Network |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> He began programming in 1994, authoring or co-authoring the [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] port scanner Strobe (1995),<ref>{{cite web |first=Julian |last=Assange |url=https://seclists.org/bugtraq/1995/Mar/65 |title=Strobe v1.01 super optimised TCP port surveyor |work=Seclists.org |date=9 March 1995 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://hpux.connect.org.uk/hppd/hpux/Networking/Admin/strobe-1.06 |title=Strobe 1.06: A super optimised TCP port surveyor |work=HP-UX Porting and Archive Centre |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> patches to the open-source database [[PostgreSQL]] (1996),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.postgresql.org/community/contributors/ |title=Contributor profiles |work=Postgresql.org |accessdate=29 November 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=postgresql.git;a=search;h=HEAD;s=Julian+Assange;st=author |title=PostgreSQL commits |work=Git.postgresql.org |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> the Usenet caching software NNTPCache (1996),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spinics.net/lists/nntpcache/threads.html |title=NNTPCache Mailing List |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> the [[Rubberhose (file system)|Rubberhose]] [[deniable encryption]] system (1997)<ref>{{cite news |first=Ryan |last=Singel|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/07/wikileaks-2/ |title=Immune to critics, secret-spilling WikiLeaks plans to save journalism{{nbsp}}... and the world |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=3 July 2008 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Suelette |last=Dreyfus |url=https://orig14.deviantart.net/a61d/f/2013/121/3/8/rubber_hose_cryptographically_deniable_file_system_by_l33tn3rdz-d63qcd2.pdf |title=The Idiot Savants' Guide to Rubberhose |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> (which reflected his growing interest in cryptography),<ref name="JustBetweenUs">{{cite news |first=Suelette |last=Dreyfus |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/network-this-is-just-between-us-and-the-spies-1126316.html |title=Network: This is just between us (and the spies) |work=[[The Independent]] |date=15 November 1999 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> and [[Surfraw]], a command-line interface for web-based search engines (2000).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://surfraw.alioth.debian.org/ |title=Surfraw: Shell Users' Revolutionary Front Rage Against the Web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517055745/http://surfraw.alioth.debian.org/ |archivedate=17 May 2018 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> During this period, he also moderated the AUCRYPTO forum,<ref name="JustBetweenUs"/> ran Best of Security, a website "giving advice on computer security" that had 5,000 subscribers in 1996,<ref name="leigh and harding"/>{{rp|45}} and contributed research to [[Suelette Dreyfus]]'s ''[[Underground (Dreyfus book)|Underground]]'' (1997), a book about Australian hackers, including the International Subversives.<ref name="Underground"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Annabel |last=Symington |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2009/10/start/exposed-wikileaks-secrets |title=Exposed: Wikileaks' secrets |work=[[Wired UK|Wired]] |date=1 September 2009 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> In 1998, he co-founded the company Earthmen Technology.<ref name="WildChild"/> |
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Assange stated that he registered the domain leaks.org in 1999, but "didn't do anything with it".<ref name="WildChild"/> He did publicise a patent granted to the [[National Security Agency]] in August 1999, for voice-data harvesting technology: "This patent should worry people. Everyone's overseas phone calls are or may soon be tapped, transcribed and archived in the bowels of an unaccountable foreign spy agency."<ref name="JustBetweenUs"/> |
Assange stated that he registered the domain leaks.org in 1999, but "didn't do anything with it".<ref name="WildChild"/> He did publicise a patent granted to the [[National Security Agency]] in August 1999, for voice-data harvesting technology: "This patent should worry people. Everyone's overseas phone calls are or may soon be tapped, transcribed and archived in the bowels of an unaccountable foreign spy agency."<ref name="JustBetweenUs"/> |
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[[File:26C3 Assange DomscheitBerg.jpg|thumb|right|Assange and [[Daniel Domscheit-Berg]] at the [[Chaos Communication Congress|26C3]] in Berlin, December 2009]] |
[[File:26C3 Assange DomscheitBerg.jpg|thumb|right|Assange and [[Daniel Domscheit-Berg]] at the [[Chaos Communication Congress|26C3]] in Berlin, December 2009]] |
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WikiLeaks first came to international prominence in 2008,<ref>{{cite web|website=The New York Times|date=19 January 2011|title=Former Swiss Banker Is Arrested in WikiLeaks Case, After a Conviction|accessdate=3 June 2019|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/business/global/20baer.html|quote=Mr. Elmer, who helped bring WikiLeaks to prominence three years ago when he used the Web site to publish secret client details, had admitted sending Julius Baer data to tax authorities.}}</ref> when "most of the US fourth estate" filed an [[amicus curiae]] brief—through the organisational efforts of the [[Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press]] (RCFP)—to defend Wikileaks against a DMCA request from the Swiss bank [[Bank Julius Baer v. Wikileaks|Julius Baer]], which had initially been granted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1039527/judge-rethinks-wikileaks |title=Judge reverses Wikileaks injunction |publisher=The Inquirer |author=Egan Orion|date=2 March 2008 |accessdate=3 June 2019}}</ref> |
WikiLeaks first came to international prominence in 2008,<ref>{{cite web|website=The New York Times|date=19 January 2011|title=Former Swiss Banker Is Arrested in WikiLeaks Case, After a Conviction|accessdate=3 June 2019|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/business/global/20baer.html|quote=Mr. Elmer, who helped bring WikiLeaks to prominence three years ago when he used the Web site to publish secret client details, had admitted sending Julius Baer data to tax authorities.}}</ref> when "most of the US fourth estate" filed an [[amicus curiae]] brief—through the organisational efforts of the [[Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press]] (RCFP)—to defend Wikileaks against a DMCA request from the Swiss bank [[Bank Julius Baer v. Wikileaks|Julius Baer]], which had initially been granted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1039527/judge-rethinks-wikileaks |title=Judge reverses Wikileaks injunction |publisher=The Inquirer |author=Egan Orion|date=2 March 2008 |accessdate=3 June 2019}}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}} |
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In September 2008, during the [[2008 United States presidential election]] campaigns, the contents of a Yahoo! account belonging to [[Sarah Palin]] (the running mate of Republican presidential nominee [[John McCain]]) were posted on WikiLeaks after being hacked into by members of [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/group-posts-e-m.html|publisher=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|title=Group Posts E-Mail Hacked From Palin Account – Update | first=Kim|last=Zetter|date=17 September 2008}}</ref> After briefly appearing on a blog, the membership list of the far-right [[British National Party]] was posted to WikiLeaks on 18 November 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7956824.stm|title='BNP membership' officer sacked |publisher=BBC | accessdate=23 March 2009 | date=21 March 2009}}</ref> |
In September 2008, during the [[2008 United States presidential election]] campaigns, the contents of a Yahoo! account belonging to [[Sarah Palin]] (the running mate of Republican presidential nominee [[John McCain]]) were posted on WikiLeaks after being hacked into by members of [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/group-posts-e-m.html|publisher=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|title=Group Posts E-Mail Hacked From Palin Account – Update | first=Kim|last=Zetter|date=17 September 2008}}</ref> After briefly appearing on a blog, the membership list of the far-right [[British National Party]] was posted to WikiLeaks on 18 November 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7956824.stm|title='BNP membership' officer sacked |publisher=BBC | accessdate=23 March 2009 | date=21 March 2009}}</ref>{{Fv|date=September 2020}} |
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In 2009, WikiLeaks released a report disclosing a "serious nuclear accident" at the Iranian [[Nuclear facilities in Iran#Natanz|Natanz nuclear facility]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Serious_nuclear_accident_may_lay_behind_Iranian_nuke_chief%27s_mystery_resignation/ |title=Serious nuclear accident may lay behind Iranian nuke chief's mystery resignation |publisher=wikileaks |date=16 July 2009 |accessdate=16 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203160534/http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Serious_nuclear_accident_may_lay_behind_Iranian_nuke_chief's_mystery_resignation/ |archivedate=3 December 2010 }}</ref> According to media reports, the accident may have been the direct result of a [[cyberattack]] at [[Iran]]'s nuclear program, carried out with the [[Stuxnet]] computer worm, a [[cyberweapon]] built jointly by the United States and [[Israel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/09/27/6_mysteries_about_stuxnet |title=6 mysteries about Stuxnet |publisher=Blog.foreignpolicy.com |accessdate=28 September 2010}}</ref> |
In 2009, WikiLeaks released a report disclosing a "serious nuclear accident" at the Iranian [[Nuclear facilities in Iran#Natanz|Natanz nuclear facility]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Serious_nuclear_accident_may_lay_behind_Iranian_nuke_chief%27s_mystery_resignation/ |title=Serious nuclear accident may lay behind Iranian nuke chief's mystery resignation |publisher=wikileaks |date=16 July 2009 |accessdate=16 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203160534/http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Serious_nuclear_accident_may_lay_behind_Iranian_nuke_chief's_mystery_resignation/ |archivedate=3 December 2010 }}</ref> According to media reports, the accident may have been the direct result of a [[cyberattack]] at [[Iran]]'s nuclear program, carried out with the [[Stuxnet]] computer worm, a [[cyberweapon]] built jointly by the United States and [[Israel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/09/27/6_mysteries_about_stuxnet |title=6 mysteries about Stuxnet |publisher=Blog.foreignpolicy.com |accessdate=28 September 2010}}</ref> |
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''[[Cypherpunks (book)|Cypherpunks]]'' was published in November 2012.<ref name="CypherpunksBook" /> In 2012, Assange hosted a television show called the [[World Tomorrow]] on [[RT (TV network)|RT]], a network funded by the Russian government.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/world/europe/wikileaks-julian-assange-russia.html|title=How Russia Often Benefits When Julian Assange Reveals the West's Secrets|last1=Erlanger|first1=Jo Becker, Steven|date=31 August 2016|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=6 January 2017}}</ref> |
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Later documents included leaked emails from the Turkish government published at the height of [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdoğan]]'s [[2016–present purges in Turkey|post-coup purges in Turkey]] in December 2016,<ref>{{cite news |title=Revealed: The Four Articles That Got Wikipedia Banned in Turkey |url=https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/turkey/revealed-the-four-articles-that-got-wikipedia-banned-in-turkey-1.6032214 |work=Haaretz |date=26 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Latest Wikileaks Dump Sheds New Light on Erdogan's Power in Turkey |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/07/latest-wikileaks-dump-sheds-light-erdogan-turkey-berat-albayrak-redhack-hackers-oil/ |work=Foreign Policy |date=7 December 2016}}</ref> and the collection of more than two million emails from [[Syria]]n political figures, government ministries and companies. Assange said of the [[Syria Files]] that "it helps us not merely to criticise one group or another, but to understand their interests, actions and thoughts. It is only through understanding this conflict that we can hope to resolve it."<ref>{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks says starts releasing hacked Syria emails |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-wikileaks/wikileaks-says-starts-releasing-hacked-syria-emails-idUSBRE8640HK20120705 |agency=Reuters |date=5 July 2012}}</ref> In June 2015, Wikileaks began publishing confidential and secret [[Saudi Arabia]]n government documents.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Markson |first1=Sharri |title=UK deal to back Saudi Arabia for UN Human Rights Council exposed |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/world/uk-deal-to-back-saudi-arabia-for-un-human-rights-council-exposed/news-story/9e469a9f92cd9a3fe2c778068aedb73a |accessdate=27 October 2019 |publisher=The Australian |date=29 September 2015}}</ref> |
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===Iraq and Afghan War logs and US diplomatic cables=== |
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By 2015, WikiLeaks had published more than ten million documents and associated analyses, and was described by Assange as "a giant library of the world's most persecuted documents".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/spiegel-interview-with-wikileaks-head-julian-assange-a-1044399.html |title=Interview with Julian Assange: 'We Are Drowning in Material'|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=20 July 2015 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> |
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The material WikiLeaks published between 2006 and 2009 attracted various degrees of international attention,<ref name="WikiLeaksYear">{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Category:Years |title=Leaks by Year |work=WikiLeaks |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> but after it began publishing documents supplied by U.S. Army [[Intelligence analysis|intelligence analyst]] [[Chelsea Manning]], WikiLeaks became a household name. |
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In April 2010, Wikileaks released the ''[[July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike|Collateral Murder]]'' video,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> which showed United States soldiers fatally shooting 18 people from a helicopter in Iraq, including [[Reuters]] journalists [[Namir Noor-Eldeen]] and his assistant [[Saeed Chmagh]].<ref name=beeb150313/> Reuters had previously made a request to the US government for the ''Collateral Murder'' video under [[Freedom of Information]] but had been denied. Assange and others worked for a week to break the U.S. military’s encryption of the video.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vos |first1=Elizabeth |title=New CN Series: The Revelations of WikiLeaks: No. 1—The Video that Put Assange in US Crosshairs |url=https://consortiumnews.com/2019/04/23/new-cn-series-the-revelations-of-wikileaks-no-1-the-video-that-put-assange-in-u-s-crosshairs/ |website=Consortium News |accessdate=15 September 2020 |date=23 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="NYT20100505_Bumiller">{{cite news| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/middleeast/06baghdad.html| title = Video Shows U.S. Killing of Reuters Employees| last = Bumiller| first = Elisabeth| newspaper = The New York Times| date = April 5, 2010| accessdate = April 7, 2010| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100408031324/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/middleeast/06baghdad.html| archive-date = April 8, 2010| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}</ref> |
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===Iraq and Afghan War logs and US diplomatic cables=== |
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The material WikiLeaks published between 2006 and 2009 attracted various degrees of international attention,<ref name="WikiLeaksYear">{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Category:Years |title=Leaks by Year |work=WikiLeaks |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> but after it began publishing documents supplied by U.S. Army [[Intelligence analysis|intelligence analyst]] [[Chelsea Manning]] (then known as Bradley), WikiLeaks became a household name. The Manning material included the ''[[July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike|Collateral Murder]]'' video (April 2010)<ref name="ReferenceA"/> which showed United States soldiers fatally shooting 18 people from a helicopter in Iraq, including [[Reuters]] journalists [[Namir Noor-Eldeen]] and his assistant [[Saeed Chmagh]].<ref name=beeb150313/> This material also included the [[Afghan War documents leak|Afghanistan War logs]] (July 2010),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/25/afghanistan-war-logs-military-leaks|title=Afghanistan war logs: Massive leak of secret files exposes truth of occupation|last1=Davies|first1=Nick|date=25 July 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 April 2019|last2=Leigh|first2=David|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> the [[Iraq War documents leak|Iraq War logs]] (October 2010),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-11612731|title=Wikileaks defends Iraq war leaks|date=23 October 2010|publisher=BBC|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> and the [[Guantanamo Bay files leak|Guantánamo files]] (April 2011).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/04/wikileaks-gitmo/|title=WikiLeaks Releases Guantánamo Bay Prisoner Reports|last=Poulsen|first=Kevin|date=25 April 2011|work=Wired|access-date=12 April 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> |
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In October 2010, Wikileaks published the [[Iraq War documents leak|Iraq War logs]], a collection of 391,832 United States Army field reports from the Iraq War covering the period from 2004 to 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-11612731|title=Wikileaks defends Iraq war leaks|date=23 October 2010|publisher=BBC|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Assange said that he hoped the publication would "correct some of that attack on the truth that occurred before the war, during the war, and which has continued after the war".<ref name="wp261010">{{cite news |title=Wikileaks's leaks mostly confirm earlier Iraq reporting |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102504643.html |accessdate=21 September 2020 |publisher=The Washington Post |date=26 October 2010}}</ref> Regarding his own role within Wikileaks he said "We always expect tremendous criticism. It is my role to be the lightning rod … to attract the attacks against the organisation for our work, and that is a difficult role. On the other hand. I get undue credit".<ref name="anorak231010">{{cite news |title=Anorak News {{!}} The Iraq War Logs Digested: Wikileaks, Assange And Torture Photos |url=https://www.anorak.co.uk/263153/reviews/the-iraq-war-logs-digested-wikileaks-assange-and-torture-photos.html |accessdate=21 September 2020 |work=Anorak News |date=23 October 2010 |language=en}}</ref> |
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Controversy surrounding WikiLeaks reached its greatest intensity after Assange published a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cable-leak-diplomacy-crisis|title=US embassy cables leak sparks global diplomatic crisis|last=Leigh|first=David|date=28 November 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 April 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> known as the [[United States diplomatic cables leak|"Cablegate"]] files, in November 2010, initially working with established Western media organisations, and later with smaller regional media organisations, while also publishing the cables upon which their reporting was based.<ref name="lynch">{{cite book |last1=Lynch |first1=Lisa |editor1-last=Brevini |editor1-first=Benedetta |editor2-last=Hintz |editor2-first=Arne |editor3-last=McCurdy |editor3-first=Patrick |title=Beyond Wikileaks |date=2018 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=56 |chapter=3: The Leak Heard Round the World? Cablegate in the Evolving Global Mediascape|doi=10.1057/9781137275745_4 }}</ref><ref name="marmura" /> The files showed United States espionage against United Nations and other world leaders,<ref name="key_guardian">{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks embassy cables: the key points at a glance |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/29/wikileaks-embassy-cables-key-points |accessdate=13 August 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=22 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="UN_guardian">{{cite news |title=US Diplomats Spied on UN Leadership – Diplomats Ordered To Gather Intelligence on Ban Ki-Moon – Secret Directives Sent to More than 30 US Embassies – Call for DNA Data, Computer Passwords and Terrorist Links |first1=Robert |last1=Booth |first2=Julian |last2=Borger |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-un |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=28 November 2010 |accessdate=11 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="cia_guardian">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/02/wikileaks-cables-cia-united-nations | title=WikiLeaks Cables: CIA Drew Up UN Spying Wishlist for Diplomats — Agency Identified Priorities for Information on UN Leaders — Cables Reveal Further Evidence of Intelligence Gathering| author=MacAskill, Ewen | author2=Booth, Robert | date=2 December 2010 |work=[[The Guardian]] | accessdate=13 December 2010}}</ref> revealed tensions between the U.S. and its allies, and exposed corruption in countries throughout the world as documented by U.S. diplomats, helping to spark the [[Arab Spring]].<ref name="white_bi">{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Gregory |title=This Is The Wikileak That Sparked The Tunisian Crisis |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/tunisia-wikileaks-2011-1 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |work=Business Insider |date=14 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="york">{{cite book |last1=York |first1=Jillian |editor1-last=Brevini |editor1-first=Benedetta |editor2-last=Hintz |editor2-first=Arne |editor3-last=McCurdy |editor3-first=Patrick |title=Beyond Wikileaks |date=2018 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=229 |chapter=13: The Internet and Transparency Beyond WikiLeaks|doi=10.1057/9781137275745_14 }}</ref> The Cablegate and Iraq and Afghan War releases impacted diplomacy and public opinion globally, with responses varying by region.<ref name="marmura">{{cite book |last1=Marmura |first1=Stephen |title=The WikiLeaks Paradigm: Paradoxes and Revelations |date=2018 |publisher=Springer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iE1tDwAAQBAJ |accessdate=13 August 2019 |quote="The drama surrounding the leaks reached its peak during "Cablegate", when Assange decided to release the remaining bulk of nearly 250,000 US diplomatic cables directly on WikiLeaks.org, for fear that the encrypted cache of documents was about to be compromised{{nbsp}}... the more Wikileaks disclosed in 2010, the more public opinion hardened against it. By contrast, the organisation's popularity in the Arab world during roughly the same timeframe was high{{nbsp}}... it played a small but arguably important role in the early Arab Spring uprisings of 2011"|isbn=9783319971391 }}</ref> |
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Other Manning material published by Wikileaks included the [[Afghan War documents leak|Afghanistan War logs]] in July 2010,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/25/afghanistan-war-logs-military-leaks|title=Afghanistan war logs: Massive leak of secret files exposes truth of occupation|last1=Davies|first1=Nick|date=25 July 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 April 2019|last2=Leigh|first2=David|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> and the [[Guantanamo Bay files leak|Guantánamo Bay files]] in April 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/04/wikileaks-gitmo/|title=WikiLeaks Releases Guantánamo Bay Prisoner Reports|last=Poulsen|first=Kevin|date=25 April 2011|work=Wired|access-date=12 April 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> |
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Opinions of Assange at this time were divided. Australian Prime Minister [[Julia Gillard]] described his activities as "illegal",<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/wikileaks-acting-illegally-says-gillard-20101202-18hb9.html | title=WikiLeaks acting illegally, says Gillard| date=2 December 2010}}</ref> but the police said he had not broken Australian law.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dylan |last=Welch |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/julian-assange-has-committed-no-crime-in-australia-afp-20101217-190eb.html |title=Julian Assange has committed no crime in Australia: AFP |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=17 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> United States Vice-President [[Joe Biden]] and others called him a "terrorist".<ref>{{cite news |first=Ewen |last=MacAskill |authorlink=Ewen MacAskill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/19/assange-high-tech-terrorist-biden |title=Julian Assange like a hi-tech terrorist, says Joe Biden |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Curry |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40517039/ns/politics/40516927 |title=McConnell optimistic on deals with Obama |publisher=NBC News |date=5 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Shane |last=D'Aprile |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/132037-gingrich-blames-obama-on-wikileaks-labels-assange-a-terrorist |title=Gingrich: Leaks show Obama administration 'shallow,' 'amateurish' |work=The Hill |date=5 December 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Beckford |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8171269/Sarah-Palin-hunt-WikiLeaks-founder-like-al-Qaeda-and-Taliban-leaders.html |title=Sarah Palin: hunt WikiLeaks founder like al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=30 November 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Kathleen Troia |last=McFarland |url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/yes-wikileaks-is-a-terrorist-organization-and-the-time-to-act-is-now |title=Yes, WikiLeaks is a terrorist organization and the time to act is now |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |date=30 November 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 |authorlink=Kathleen Troia McFarland }}</ref> Some called for his assassination or execution.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/flanagan-regrets-wikileaks-assassination-remark-1.877548 |title=Flanagan regrets WikiLeaks assassination remark |publisher=CBC News |date=1 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Smith |url=https://www.straight.com/news/police-complaint-filed-after-tom-flanagan-calls-assassination-wikileaks-julian-assange |title=Police complaint filed after Tom Flanagan calls for assassination of Wikileaks' Julian Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111233159/http://www.straight.com/news/police-complaint-filed-after-tom-flanagan-calls-assassination-wikileaks-julian-assange |archivedate=11 November 2014 |work=[[Straight.com]] |date=4 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-news-bob-beckel-calls_n_793467 |title=Fox News' Bob Beckel calls for {{sic|nolink=y|'Ilegally'}} killing Assange: 'A dead man can't leak stuff' |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=7 December 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Haroon |last1=Sidiqqui |first2=Matthew |last2=Weaver |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/us-embassy-cables-executed-mike-huckabee |title=US embassy cables culprit should be executed, says Mike Huckabee |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=1 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name=mich>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Davidson |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/michael-grunwald-and-the-assange-precedent-problem |title=Michael Grunwald and the Assange precedent problem |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=18 August 2013 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> Support for Assange came from Brazilian President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11966193 |title=Wikileaks: Brazil President Lula backs Julian Assange |publisher=BBC News |date=10 December 2010 |accessdate=10 December 2010 }}</ref> Ecuadorian President [[Rafael Correa]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9344556/When-Wikileaks-founder-Julian-Assange-met-Ecuadorean-president-Rafael-Correa.html |title=When Wikileaks founder Julian Assange met Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=20 June 2012 }}</ref> Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/International/Russia-Julian-Assange-deserves-a-Nobel-Prize |title=Russia: Julian Assange deserves a Nobel Prize |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=12 November 2010 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Luke |last=Harding |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/09/julian-assange-nobel-peace-prize |title=Julian Assange should be awarded Nobel peace prize, suggests Russia |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=9 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]] leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] (then a backbench MP),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/07/jeremy-corbyn-interview-i-think-we-have-think-terms-disillusioned-who-didn-t |title=Jeremy Corbyn: 'I think we have to think in terms of the disillusioned who didn't vote' |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=29 July 2015 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> Spanish [[Podemos (Spanish political party)|Podemos party]] leader [[Pablo Iglesias Turrión|Pablo Iglesias]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://noticias.terra.es/mundo/europa/podemos-denuncia-en-londres-la-terrible-persecucion-que-sufre-assange,855a70cb19f89410VgnCLD200000b1bf46d0RCRD.html |title=Podemos denuncia en Londres la 'terrible persecución' que sufre Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816171901/https://noticias.terra.es/mundo/europa/podemos-denuncia-en-londres-la-terrible-persecucion-que-sufre-assange,855a70cb19f89410VgnCLD200000b1bf46d0RCRD.html |archivedate=16 August 2016 |work=[[Terra Networks|Terra España]] |date=8 November 2014 |language=es }}</ref> UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [[Navi Pillay]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6B81RO20101209 |title=UN rights boss concerned at targeting of WikiLeaks |date=9 December 2010 |agency=Reuters |first=Stephanie |last=Nebehay}}</ref> and Argentina's ambassador to the UK, [[Alicia Castro]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/112355/assange-recognizes-argentine-support |title=Assange recognizes Argentine support |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130041144/http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/112355/assange-recognizes-argentine-support |archivedate=30 January 2016 |work=[[Buenos Aires Herald]] |date=24 September 2012 }}</ref> He also garnered support from many leading activists and celebrities, including [[Tariq Ali]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2012/8/20/craig_murray_and_tariq_ali_speak_in_support_of_wikileaks_julian_assange_outside_ecuadorean_embassay |title=Craig Murray and Tariq Ali speak in support of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange outside Ecuadorean embassy |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |date=20 August 2012 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> [[John Perry Barlow]],<ref>{{cite web |authorlink=James Ball (journalist) |first=James |last=Ball |url=http://www.support-julian-assange.com/wikileaks-supporters-plan-us-foundation-to-restore-funding/ |title=WikiLeaks supporters plan US foundation to restore funding |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106074842/http://www.support-julian-assange.com/wikileaks-supporters-plan-us-foundation-to-restore-funding/ |archivedate=6 January 2014 |work=Support Julian Assange Website |date=20 April 2012 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Daniel Ellsberg]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/31/pentagon_whistleblower_daniel_ellsberg_julian_assange |title=Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg: Julian Assange is not a terrorist |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |date=31 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://accuracy.org/release/2404-ex-intelligence-officers-others-see-plusses-in-wikileaks-disclosures/ |title=Ex-intelligence officers, others see plusses in WikiLeaks disclosures |work=Institute for Public Accuracy |date=7 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Mary Kostakidis]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/core-member/assange/sign-the-petition |title=Julian Assange: sign the petition |work=GetUp! Action for Australia |year=2012 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> [[John Pilger]],<ref name="PilgerWar">{{cite web |first=John |last=Pilger |url=http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-war-on-wikileaks-a-john-pilger-investigation-and-interview-with-julian-assange |title=The war on WikiLeaks: a John Pilger investigation and interview with Julian Assange |work=JohnPilger.com |date=13 January 2011 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=John |last=Pilger |url=http://johnpilger.com/articles/wikileaks-is-a-rare-truth-teller-smearing-julian-assange-is-shameful |title=WikiLeaks is a rare truth-teller. Smearing Julian Assange is shameful |work=JohnPilger.com |date=14 February 2013 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Ai Weiwei]],<ref name = "guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/19/angry-julian-assange-starts-fifth-year-living-in-ecuadors-london-embassy|title='Angry' Julian Assange starts fifth year living in Ecuador's London embassy|work=The Guardian|date=19 June 2016|accessdate=9 January 2020}}</ref> [[Michael Moore]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/filmmaker-michael-moore-visits-julian-assange-at-embassy-34788799.html |title=Film-maker Michael Moore visits Julian Assange at embassy |work=[[The Belfast Telegraph]] |date=10 July 2016 }}</ref> [[Noam Chomsky]],<ref name = "guardian"/> [[Vaughan Smith]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Giglio |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/julian-assanges-guardian-angel-frontline-club-founder-vaughan-smith |title=Julian Assange's Guardian Angel, Frontline Club Founder Vaughan Smith |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=2 November 2011 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Charles M. |last=Sennott |url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-07-15/bold-stand-support-vaughan-smith-julian-assange |title=A bold stand in support: Vaughan Smith on Julian Assange |work=[[GlobalPost|Global Post]] |date=15 July 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> and [[Oliver Stone]].<ref name="MooreStone">{{cite news |first1=Michael |last1=Moore |first2=Oliver |last2=Stone |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/opinion/wikileaks-and-the-global-future-of-free-speech.html |title=WikiLeaks and free speech |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 August 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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Wikileaks published a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cable-leak-diplomacy-crisis|title=US embassy cables leak sparks global diplomatic crisis|last=Leigh|first=David|date=28 November 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 April 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> known as the [[United States diplomatic cables leak|"Cablegate"]] files, in November 2010. Wikileaks initially worked with established Western media organisations, and later with smaller regional media organisations, while also publishing the cables upon which their reporting was based.<ref name="lynch">{{cite book |last1=Lynch |first1=Lisa |editor1-last=Brevini |editor1-first=Benedetta |editor2-last=Hintz |editor2-first=Arne |editor3-last=McCurdy |editor3-first=Patrick |title=Beyond Wikileaks |date=2018 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=56 |chapter=3: The Leak Heard Round the World? Cablegate in the Evolving Global Mediascape|doi=10.1057/9781137275745_4 }}</ref><ref name="marmura" /> The files showed United States espionage against United Nations and other world leaders,<ref name="key_guardian">{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks embassy cables: the key points at a glance |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/29/wikileaks-embassy-cables-key-points |accessdate=13 August 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=22 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="UN_guardian">{{cite news |title=US Diplomats Spied on UN Leadership – Diplomats Ordered To Gather Intelligence on Ban Ki-Moon – Secret Directives Sent to More than 30 US Embassies – Call for DNA Data, Computer Passwords and Terrorist Links |first1=Robert |last1=Booth |first2=Julian |last2=Borger |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-un |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=28 November 2010 |accessdate=11 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="cia_guardian">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/02/wikileaks-cables-cia-united-nations | title=WikiLeaks Cables: CIA Drew Up UN Spying Wishlist for Diplomats — Agency Identified Priorities for Information on UN Leaders — Cables Reveal Further Evidence of Intelligence Gathering| author=MacAskill, Ewen | author2=Booth, Robert | date=2 December 2010 |work=[[The Guardian]] | accessdate=13 December 2010}}</ref> revealed tensions between the U.S. and its allies, and exposed corruption in countries throughout the world as documented by U.S. diplomats, helping to spark the [[Arab Spring]].<ref name="white_bi">{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Gregory |title=This Is The Wikileak That Sparked The Tunisian Crisis |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/tunisia-wikileaks-2011-1 |accessdate=13 August 2019 |work=Business Insider |date=14 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="york">{{cite book |last1=York |first1=Jillian |editor1-last=Brevini |editor1-first=Benedetta |editor2-last=Hintz |editor2-first=Arne |editor3-last=McCurdy |editor3-first=Patrick |title=Beyond Wikileaks |date=2018 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=229 |chapter=13: The Internet and Transparency Beyond WikiLeaks|doi=10.1057/9781137275745_14 }}</ref> The Cablegate and Iraq and Afghan War releases impacted diplomacy and public opinion globally, with responses varying by region.<ref name="marmura">{{cite book |last1=Marmura |first1=Stephen |title=The WikiLeaks Paradigm: Paradoxes and Revelations |date=2018 |publisher=Springer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iE1tDwAAQBAJ |accessdate=13 August 2019 |quote="The drama surrounding the leaks reached its peak during "Cablegate", when Assange decided to release the remaining bulk of nearly 250,000 US diplomatic cables directly on WikiLeaks.org, for fear that the encrypted cache of documents was about to be compromised{{nbsp}}... the more Wikileaks disclosed in 2010, the more public opinion hardened against it. By contrast, the organisation's popularity in the Arab world during roughly the same timeframe was high{{nbsp}}... it played a small but arguably important role in the early Arab Spring uprisings of 2011"|isbn=9783319971391 }}</ref> |
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===Assessments=== |
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Opinions of Assange at this time were divided. Australian Prime Minister [[Julia Gillard]] described his activities as "illegal",<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/wikileaks-acting-illegally-says-gillard-20101202-18hb9.html | title=WikiLeaks acting illegally, says Gillard| date=2 December 2010}}</ref> but the police said he had not broken Australian law.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dylan |last=Welch |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/julian-assange-has-committed-no-crime-in-australia-afp-20101217-190eb.html |title=Julian Assange has committed no crime in Australia: AFP |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=17 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> United States Vice-President [[Joe Biden]] and others called him a "terrorist".<ref>{{cite news |first=Ewen |last=MacAskill |authorlink=Ewen MacAskill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/19/assange-high-tech-terrorist-biden |title=Julian Assange like a hi-tech terrorist, says Joe Biden |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Curry |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40517039/ns/politics/40516927 |title=McConnell optimistic on deals with Obama |publisher=NBC News |date=5 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Shane |last=D'Aprile |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/132037-gingrich-blames-obama-on-wikileaks-labels-assange-a-terrorist |title=Gingrich: Leaks show Obama administration 'shallow,' 'amateurish' |work=The Hill |date=5 December 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Beckford |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8171269/Sarah-Palin-hunt-WikiLeaks-founder-like-al-Qaeda-and-Taliban-leaders.html |title=Sarah Palin: hunt WikiLeaks founder like al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=30 November 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Kathleen Troia |last=McFarland |url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/yes-wikileaks-is-a-terrorist-organization-and-the-time-to-act-is-now |title=Yes, WikiLeaks is a terrorist organization and the time to act is now |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |date=30 November 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 |authorlink=Kathleen Troia McFarland }}</ref> Some called for his assassination or execution.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/flanagan-regrets-wikileaks-assassination-remark-1.877548 |title=Flanagan regrets WikiLeaks assassination remark |publisher=CBC News |date=1 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Smith |url=https://www.straight.com/news/police-complaint-filed-after-tom-flanagan-calls-assassination-wikileaks-julian-assange |title=Police complaint filed after Tom Flanagan calls for assassination of Wikileaks' Julian Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111233159/http://www.straight.com/news/police-complaint-filed-after-tom-flanagan-calls-assassination-wikileaks-julian-assange |archivedate=11 November 2014 |work=[[Straight.com]] |date=4 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-news-bob-beckel-calls_n_793467 |title=Fox News' Bob Beckel calls for {{sic|nolink=y|'Ilegally'}} killing Assange: 'A dead man can't leak stuff' |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=7 December 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Haroon |last1=Sidiqqui |first2=Matthew |last2=Weaver |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/us-embassy-cables-executed-mike-huckabee |title=US embassy cables culprit should be executed, says Mike Huckabee |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=1 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name=mich>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Davidson |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/michael-grunwald-and-the-assange-precedent-problem |title=Michael Grunwald and the Assange precedent problem |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=18 August 2013 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> Support for Assange came from Brazilian President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11966193 |title=Wikileaks: Brazil President Lula backs Julian Assange |publisher=BBC News |date=10 December 2010 |accessdate=10 December 2010 }}</ref> Ecuadorian President [[Rafael Correa]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9344556/When-Wikileaks-founder-Julian-Assange-met-Ecuadorean-president-Rafael-Correa.html |title=When Wikileaks founder Julian Assange met Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=20 June 2012|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/International/Russia-Julian-Assange-deserves-a-Nobel-Prize |title=Russia: Julian Assange deserves a Nobel Prize |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=12 November 2010 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Luke |last=Harding |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/09/julian-assange-nobel-peace-prize |title=Julian Assange should be awarded Nobel peace prize, suggests Russia |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=9 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]] leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] (then a backbench MP),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/07/jeremy-corbyn-interview-i-think-we-have-think-terms-disillusioned-who-didn-t |title=Jeremy Corbyn: 'I think we have to think in terms of the disillusioned who didn't vote' |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=29 July 2015 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> Spanish [[Podemos (Spanish political party)|Podemos party]] leader [[Pablo Iglesias Turrión|Pablo Iglesias]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://noticias.terra.es/mundo/europa/podemos-denuncia-en-londres-la-terrible-persecucion-que-sufre-assange,855a70cb19f89410VgnCLD200000b1bf46d0RCRD.html |title=Podemos denuncia en Londres la 'terrible persecución' que sufre Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816171901/https://noticias.terra.es/mundo/europa/podemos-denuncia-en-londres-la-terrible-persecucion-que-sufre-assange,855a70cb19f89410VgnCLD200000b1bf46d0RCRD.html |archivedate=16 August 2016 |work=[[Terra Networks|Terra España]] |date=8 November 2014 |language=es }}</ref> UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [[Navi Pillay]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6B81RO20101209 |title=UN rights boss concerned at targeting of WikiLeaks |date=9 December 2010 |agency=Reuters |first=Stephanie |last=Nebehay}}</ref> and Argentina's ambassador to the UK, [[Alicia Castro]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/112355/assange-recognizes-argentine-support |title=Assange recognizes Argentine support |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130041144/http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/112355/assange-recognizes-argentine-support |archivedate=30 January 2016 |work=[[Buenos Aires Herald]] |date=24 September 2012 }}</ref> He also garnered support from many leading activists and celebrities, including [[Tariq Ali]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2012/8/20/craig_murray_and_tariq_ali_speak_in_support_of_wikileaks_julian_assange_outside_ecuadorean_embassay |title=Craig Murray and Tariq Ali speak in support of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange outside Ecuadorean embassy |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |date=20 August 2012 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> [[John Perry Barlow]],<ref>{{cite web |authorlink=James Ball (journalist) |first=James |last=Ball |url=http://www.support-julian-assange.com/wikileaks-supporters-plan-us-foundation-to-restore-funding/ |title=WikiLeaks supporters plan US foundation to restore funding |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106074842/http://www.support-julian-assange.com/wikileaks-supporters-plan-us-foundation-to-restore-funding/ |archivedate=6 January 2014 |work=Support Julian Assange Website |date=20 April 2012 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Daniel Ellsberg]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/31/pentagon_whistleblower_daniel_ellsberg_julian_assange |title=Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg: Julian Assange is not a terrorist |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |date=31 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://accuracy.org/release/2404-ex-intelligence-officers-others-see-plusses-in-wikileaks-disclosures/ |title=Ex-intelligence officers, others see plusses in WikiLeaks disclosures |work=Institute for Public Accuracy |date=7 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Mary Kostakidis]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/core-member/assange/sign-the-petition |title=Julian Assange: sign the petition |work=GetUp! Action for Australia |year=2012 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref> [[John Pilger]],<ref name="PilgerWar">{{cite web |first=John |last=Pilger |url=http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-war-on-wikileaks-a-john-pilger-investigation-and-interview-with-julian-assange |title=The war on WikiLeaks: a John Pilger investigation and interview with Julian Assange |work=JohnPilger.com |date=13 January 2011 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=John |last=Pilger |url=http://johnpilger.com/articles/wikileaks-is-a-rare-truth-teller-smearing-julian-assange-is-shameful |title=WikiLeaks is a rare truth-teller. Smearing Julian Assange is shameful |work=JohnPilger.com |date=14 February 2013 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Ai Weiwei]],<ref name = "guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/19/angry-julian-assange-starts-fifth-year-living-in-ecuadors-london-embassy|title='Angry' Julian Assange starts fifth year living in Ecuador's London embassy|work=The Guardian|date=19 June 2016|accessdate=9 January 2020}}</ref> [[Michael Moore]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/filmmaker-michael-moore-visits-julian-assange-at-embassy-34788799.html |title=Film-maker Michael Moore visits Julian Assange at embassy |work=[[The Belfast Telegraph]] |date=10 July 2016 }}</ref> [[Noam Chomsky]],<ref name = "guardian"/> [[Vaughan Smith]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Giglio |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/julian-assanges-guardian-angel-frontline-club-founder-vaughan-smith |title=Julian Assange's Guardian Angel, Frontline Club Founder Vaughan Smith |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=2 November 2011 |accessdate=21 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Charles M. |last=Sennott |url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-07-15/bold-stand-support-vaughan-smith-julian-assange |title=A bold stand in support: Vaughan Smith on Julian Assange |work=[[GlobalPost|Global Post]] |date=15 July 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> and [[Oliver Stone]].<ref name="MooreStone">{{cite news |first1=Michael |last1=Moore |first2=Oliver |last2=Stone |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/opinion/wikileaks-and-the-global-future-of-free-speech.html |title=WikiLeaks and free speech |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 August 2012 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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[[File: CollateralMurder.ogv|thumb|Gun camera footage of the [[July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike|airstrike of 12 July 2007]] in Baghdad, showing the deaths of journalists [[Namir Noor-Eldeen]] and [[Saeed Chmagh]] by a US helicopter]] |
[[File: CollateralMurder.ogv|thumb|Gun camera footage of the [[July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike|airstrike of 12 July 2007]] in Baghdad, showing the deaths of journalists [[Namir Noor-Eldeen]] and [[Saeed Chmagh]] by a US helicopter]] |
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The year 2010 culminated with the [[Sam Adams Award]], which Assange accepted in October,<ref>{{cite web |first=Ray |last=McGovern |url=https://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/57-ray-mcgovern/462-julian-assange-honored-at-london-press-conference |title=Julian Assange honored at London press conference |work=The Real News |date=25 October 2010 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref> and a string of distinctions in December—the ''[[Le Monde]]'' readers' choice award for person of the year,<ref>{{cite news |first=Sylvie |last=Kauffmann |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/documents-wikileaks/article/2010/12/24/defis-et-limites-de-la-transparence_1457338_1446239.html |title=WikiLeaks: défis et limites de la transparence |language=fr |work=[[Le Monde]] |date=24 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-12-24/assange-named-le-monde-man-of-the-year/1884984 |title=Assange named Le Monde Man of the Year |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] News |date=24 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> the ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' readers' choice award for person of the year (he was also a runner-up in ''Time's'' overall person of the year award),<ref>{{cite news |first=Megan |last=Friedman |url=http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/13/julian-assange-readers-choice-for-times-person-of-the-year-2010/ |title=Julian Assange: readers' choice for Time's person of the year 2010 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=13 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Barton |last=Gellman |url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037118_2037146,00.html |title=Runners-up Julian Assange |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=15 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> a deal for his autobiography worth at least US$1.3 million,<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Sonne |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203568004576043894046208056 |title=Assange memoir sold in U.S., U.K. |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=27 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ravi |last=Somaiya |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/world/europe/28wiki.html |title=WikiLeaks founder signs book deal |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=27 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Dolak |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wikileaks-julian-assange-signs-13-million-book-deal/story?id=12480583 |title=Julian Assange signs $1.3 million book deal |publisher=[[ABC News]] |date=26 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> and selection by the Italian edition of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as "rockstar of the year".<ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Squires |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8200997/WikiLeaks-Julian-Assange-crowned-Rock-Star-of-the-Year-by-Italian-Rolling-Stone.html |title=WikiLeaks: Julian Assange crowned 'Rock Star of the Year' by Italian Rolling Stone |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=14 December 2010 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref> |
The year 2010 culminated with the [[Sam Adams Award]], which Assange accepted in October,<ref>{{cite web |first=Ray |last=McGovern |url=https://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/57-ray-mcgovern/462-julian-assange-honored-at-london-press-conference |title=Julian Assange honored at London press conference |work=The Real News |date=25 October 2010 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}} and a string of distinctions in December—the ''[[Le Monde]]'' readers' choice award for person of the year,<ref>{{cite news |first=Sylvie |last=Kauffmann |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/documents-wikileaks/article/2010/12/24/defis-et-limites-de-la-transparence_1457338_1446239.html |title=WikiLeaks: défis et limites de la transparence |language=fr |work=[[Le Monde]] |date=24 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-12-24/assange-named-le-monde-man-of-the-year/1884984 |title=Assange named Le Monde Man of the Year |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] News |date=24 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> the ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' readers' choice award for person of the year (he was also a runner-up in ''Time's'' overall person of the year award),<ref>{{cite news |first=Megan |last=Friedman |url=http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/13/julian-assange-readers-choice-for-times-person-of-the-year-2010/ |title=Julian Assange: readers' choice for Time's person of the year 2010 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=13 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Barton |last=Gellman |url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037118_2037146,00.html |title=Runners-up Julian Assange |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=15 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> a deal for his autobiography worth at least US$1.3 million,<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Sonne |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203568004576043894046208056 |title=Assange memoir sold in U.S., U.K. |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=27 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ravi |last=Somaiya |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/world/europe/28wiki.html |title=WikiLeaks founder signs book deal |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=27 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Dolak |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wikileaks-julian-assange-signs-13-million-book-deal/story?id=12480583 |title=Julian Assange signs $1.3 million book deal |publisher=[[ABC News]] |date=26 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> and selection by the Italian edition of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as "rockstar of the year".<ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Squires |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8200997/WikiLeaks-Julian-Assange-crowned-Rock-Star-of-the-Year-by-Italian-Rolling-Stone.html |title=WikiLeaks: Julian Assange crowned 'Rock Star of the Year' by Italian Rolling Stone |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=14 December 2010 |accessdate=19 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |
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In February 2011, |
In February 2011, Assange won the [[Sydney Peace Prize|Sydney Peace Foundation]] Gold Medal for Peace with Justice, previously awarded to only three people—[[Nelson Mandela]], the [[14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]], and Buddhist spiritual leader [[Daisaku Ikeda]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Isabel |last=Hayes |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/julian-assange-awarded-sydney-peace-medal-20110202-1ad7y.html |title=Julian Assange awarded Sydney peace medal |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=2 February 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> Two weeks later, he filed for the trademark "Julian Assange" in Europe, which was to be used for "Public speaking services; news reporter services; journalism; publication of texts other than publicity texts; education services; entertainment services".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://trademark.markify.com/trademarks/ctm/julian+assange/009734096 |title=Word mark Number 009734096: Julian Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022002331/http://trademark.markify.com/trademarks/ctm/julian+assange/009734096 |archivedate=22 October 2013 |work=Markify |date=14 February 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/feb/28/julian-assange-trademark-name | title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange applies to trademark his name| newspaper=The Guardian| date=28 February 2011| last1=Halliday| first1=Josh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/mar/01/why-julian-assange-trademarking-name |title = Why is Julian Assange trademarking his name?|newspaper = The Guardian|date = March 2011|last1 = Barkham|first1 = Patrick}}</ref> Assange is a long standing member of the [[Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance|Australian journalists' union]], of which he was made an honorary member in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-12-23/journalists-union-shows-support-for-assange/2383428 |title=Journalists' union shows support for Assange |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] News |date=23 December 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Alex |last=Massie |url=https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2010/11/yes-julian-assange-is-a-journalist/ |title=Yes, Julian Assange is a journalist |work=[[The Spectator]] |date=2 November 2010 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/star-lawyer-alan-dershowitz-assange-is-a-new-kind-of-journalist-a-746942.html |title=Star lawyer Alan Dershowitz: Assange is a new kind of journalist |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=22 February 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> He was awarded the [[Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism]] in June 2011,<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jun/02/julian-assange-martha-gelhorn-prize | title=Julian Assange wins Martha Gellhorn journalism prize| newspaper=The Guardian| date=2 June 2011| last1=Deans| first1=Jason}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Joel |last=Gunter |url=https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/julian-assange-wins-martha-gellhorn-prize-for-journalism/s2/a544492/ |title=Julian Assange wins Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism |work=[[Journalism.co.uk]] |date=2 June 2011 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> having earlier won the [[Amnesty International]] UK Media Award (New Media) in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Nystedt |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2527692/wikileaks-leader-talks-of-courage-and-wrestling-pigs.html |title=Wikileaks leader talks of courage and wrestling pigs |work=[[Computerworld]] |date=27 October 2009 |accessdate=17 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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In 2011, the Walkley Foundation awarded WikiLeaks the [[Walkley Awards|Walkley Award]] for "Most outstanding contribution to journalism".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkleys.com/2011winners#most-outstanding-contribution-to-journalism|title=2011 Walkley Award winners|publisher=Walkley Foundation for Journalism|year=2011|accessdate=28 September 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510224648/http://www.walkleys.com/2011winners#most-outstanding-contribution-to-journalism|archivedate=10 May 2013}}</ref> It commended WikiLeaks and Assange for their "brave, determined and independent stand for freedom of speech and transparency that has empowered people all over the world". |
In 2011, the Walkley Foundation awarded WikiLeaks the [[Walkley Awards|Walkley Award]] for "Most outstanding contribution to journalism".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkleys.com/2011winners#most-outstanding-contribution-to-journalism|title=2011 Walkley Award winners|publisher=Walkley Foundation for Journalism|year=2011|accessdate=28 September 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510224648/http://www.walkleys.com/2011winners#most-outstanding-contribution-to-journalism|archivedate=10 May 2013}}</ref> It commended WikiLeaks and Assange for their "brave, determined and independent stand for freedom of speech and transparency that has empowered people all over the world". |
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''[[Cypherpunks (book)|Cypherpunks]]'' was published in November 2012.<ref name="CypherpunksBook" /> In 2012, Assange hosted a television show called the [[World Tomorrow]] on [[RT (TV network)|RT]], a network funded by the Russian government.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/world/europe/wikileaks-julian-assange-russia.html|title=How Russia Often Benefits When Julian Assange Reveals the West's Secrets|last1=Erlanger|first1=Jo Becker, Steven|date=31 August 2016|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=6 January 2017}}</ref> |
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==US criminal investigation== |
==US criminal investigation== |
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After WikiLeaks released the Manning material, United States authorities began investigating WikiLeaks and Assange personally to prosecute them under the [[Espionage Act of 1917]].<ref name="FearsJustified">{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Dorling |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/are-assanges-fears-justified-20120622-20u6i.html |title=Are Assange's fears justified? |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=23 June 2012 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> In November 2010, [[United States Attorney General|US Attorney-General]] [[Eric Holder]] said there was "an active, ongoing criminal investigation" into WikiLeaks.<ref name="Pete Yost 2010">{{cite news |first=Pete |last=Yost |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/9383387 |title=Holder says WikiLeaks under criminal investigation |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=29 November 2010 |accessdate=15 March 2014}}</ref> It emerged from legal documents leaked over the ensuing months that Assange and others were being investigated by a federal [[Grand juries in the United States|grand jury]] in Alexandria, Virginia.<ref>{{cite news |first=Glenn |last=Greeenwald |authorlink=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.salon.com/2011/04/27/wikileaks_26/ |title=FBI serves grand jury subpoena likely relating to WikiLeaks |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |date=27 April 2011 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> |
After WikiLeaks released the Manning material, United States authorities began investigating WikiLeaks and Assange personally to prosecute them under the [[Espionage Act of 1917]].<ref name="FearsJustified">{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Dorling |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/are-assanges-fears-justified-20120622-20u6i.html |title=Are Assange's fears justified? |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=23 June 2012 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> In November 2010, [[United States Attorney General|US Attorney-General]] [[Eric Holder]] said there was "an active, ongoing criminal investigation" into WikiLeaks.<ref name="Pete Yost 2010">{{cite news |first=Pete |last=Yost |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/9383387 |title=Holder says WikiLeaks under criminal investigation |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=29 November 2010 |accessdate=15 March 2014}}</ref> It emerged from legal documents leaked over the ensuing months that Assange and others were being investigated by a federal [[Grand juries in the United States|grand jury]] in Alexandria, Virginia.<ref>{{cite news |first=Glenn |last=Greeenwald |authorlink=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.salon.com/2011/04/27/wikileaks_26/ |title=FBI serves grand jury subpoena likely relating to WikiLeaks |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |date=27 April 2011 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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In December 2011, prosecutors in the [[United States v. Manning|Chelsea Manning case]] revealed the existence of chat logs between Manning and an interlocutor they claimed to be Assange;<ref>{{cite news |first=Kim |last=Zetter |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/12/manning-assange-laptop/ |title=Jolt in WikiLeaks case: Feds found Manning-Assange chat logs on laptop |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=19 December 2011 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ellen |last=Nakashima |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/bradley-manning-case-investigators-show-evidence-of-wikileaks-link-assange-chats/2011/12/19/gIQAcDoS5O_story.html |title=Bradley Manning case: Investigators show evidence of WikiLeaks link, Assange chats |work= |
In December 2011, prosecutors in the [[United States v. Manning|Chelsea Manning case]] revealed the existence of chat logs between Manning and an interlocutor they claimed to be Assange;<ref>{{cite news |first=Kim |last=Zetter |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/12/manning-assange-laptop/ |title=Jolt in WikiLeaks case: Feds found Manning-Assange chat logs on laptop |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=19 December 2011 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ellen |last=Nakashima |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/bradley-manning-case-investigators-show-evidence-of-wikileaks-link-assange-chats/2011/12/19/gIQAcDoS5O_story.html |title=Bradley Manning case: Investigators show evidence of WikiLeaks link, Assange chats |work=The Washington Post |date=20 December 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref> he denied this,<ref>{{cite news |first=Gretchen |last=Gavett |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/wikisecrets/new-evidence-of-assange-manning-link/ |title=New evidence of Assange-Manning link |publisher=[[PBS]] |date=19 December 2011 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/wikileaks/interviews/julian-assange.html |title=Interview Julian Assange |work=[[Frontline (US TV series)|Frontline]] |publisher=[[PBS]] |date=4 April 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/WikiSecrets-Julian-Assange-Full.html |title="WikiSecrets" Julian Assange Full Interview Footage |date=25 May 2011 |work=WikiLeaks |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> dismissing the alleged connection as "absolute nonsense".<ref name="NoManningLink">{{cite news |first=Jim |last=Miklaszewski |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41241414/ns/us_news-wikileaks_in_security |title=The U.S. can't link accused Army private to Assange |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=24 January 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref> The logs were presented as evidence during Manning's court-martial in June–July 2013.<ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Usborne |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bradley-manning-court-martial-hears-evidence-of-online-chats-with-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-8656118.html |title=Bradley Manning court-martial hears 'evidence of online chats' with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange |work=[[The Independent]] |location=London |date=12 June 2013 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> The prosecution argued that they showed WikiLeaks helping Manning reverse-engineer a password, but Manning said she acted alone.<ref name="CourthouseNews">{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Klasfield |url=http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/12/58459.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617022423/http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/12/58459.htm |archivedate=17 June 2013 |title=The only chats recovered between Pfc. Bradley Manning and an online chat buddy |work=Courthouse News Service |date=12 June 2013 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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In 2013, US officials said that it was unlikely that the Justice Department would indict Assange for publishing classified documents because |
In 2013, US officials said that it was unlikely that the Justice Department would indict Assange for publishing classified documents because it would also have to prosecute the news organisations and writers who published classified material.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Horwitz |first1=Sari |title=Julian Assange unlikely to face U.S. charges over publishing classified documents |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/julian-assange-unlikely-to-face-us-charges-over-publishing-classified-documents/2013/11/25/dd27decc-55f1-11e3-8304-caf30787c0a9_story.html |accessdate=8 September 2019 |work=The Washington Post |date=25 November 2013|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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Assange was being examined separately by "several government agencies" in addition to the grand jury, most notably the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]].<ref name="CarrSomaiya">{{cite news |first1=David |last1=Carr |first2=Ravi |last2=Somaiya |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/world/europe/wikileaks-back-in-news-never-left-us-radar.html |title=Assange, back in news, never left U.S. radar |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=24 June 2013 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> Court documents published in May 2014 suggest that Assange was under "active and ongoing" investigation at that time.<ref>{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Dorling |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/assange-targeted-by-fbi-probe-us-court-documents-reveal-20140520-38l1p.html |title=Assange targeted by FBI probe, US court documents reveal |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=20 May 2014 |accessdate=29 August 2014 }}</ref> |
Assange was being examined separately by "several government agencies" in addition to the grand jury, most notably the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]].<ref name="CarrSomaiya">{{cite news |first1=David |last1=Carr |first2=Ravi |last2=Somaiya |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/world/europe/wikileaks-back-in-news-never-left-us-radar.html |title=Assange, back in news, never left U.S. radar |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=24 June 2013 |accessdate=15 March 2014 }}</ref> Court documents published in May 2014 suggest that Assange was under "active and ongoing" investigation at that time.<ref>{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Dorling |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/assange-targeted-by-fbi-probe-us-court-documents-reveal-20140520-38l1p.html |title=Assange targeted by FBI probe, US court documents reveal |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=20 May 2014 |accessdate=29 August 2014 }}</ref> |
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Some [[Edward Snowden|Snowden]] documents published in 2014 showed that the United States government put Assange on the "2010 Manhunting Timeline",<ref name=intercept18feb2014>{{cite news |first1=Glenn |last1=Greenwald |authorlink=Glenn Greenwald |first2=Ryan |last2=Gallagher |authorlink2=Ryan Gallagher |url=https://theintercept.com/2014/02/18/snowden-docs-reveal-covert-surveillance-and-pressure-tactics-aimed-at-wikileaks-and-its-supporters/ |title=Snowden Documents Reveal Covert Surveillance and Pressure Tactics Aimed at Wikileaks and Its Supporters |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=18 February 2014 |accessdate=27 October 2019}}</ref> and in the same period they urged their allies to open criminal investigations into the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks.<ref>{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Shenon |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/wikileaks-julian-assange-could-face-criminal-charges-from-us-allies |title=U.S. Urges Allies to Crack Down on WikiLeaks |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=10 August 2010 |accessdate=27 October 2019}}</ref> In the same documents, there was a proposal by the [[National Security Agency]] (NSA) to designate WikiLeaks a "malicious foreign actor", thus increasing the surveillance against it.<ref name=intercept18feb2014/> |
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In January 2015, WikiLeaks issued a statement saying that three members of the organisation had received notice from Google that Google had complied with a federal warrant by a US District Court to turn over their emails and metadata on 5 April 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/google-warrant.html |title=Google hands data to US Government in WikiLeaks espionage case |work=Wikileaks |date=26 January 2015 |accessdate=27 October 2019}}</ref> In July 2015, Assange called himself a "wanted journalist" |
In January 2015, WikiLeaks issued a statement saying that three members of the organisation had received notice from Google that Google had complied with a federal warrant by a US District Court to turn over their emails and metadata on 5 April 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikileaks.org/google-warrant.html |title=Google hands data to US Government in WikiLeaks espionage case |work=Wikileaks |date=26 January 2015 |accessdate=27 October 2019}}</ref> In July 2015, Assange called himself a "wanted journalist" in an open letter to the French president published in ''Le Monde''.<ref name="Hollande">{{cite news|newspaper= [[Le Monde]]|date=3 July 2015|accessdate=30 May 2019|language=fr|author=Julian Assange|url= https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2015/07/03/julian-assange-monsieur-hollande-accueillez-moi-en-france_4668919_3232.html |title=Julian Assange : "En m'accueillant, la France accomplirait un geste humanitaire"|quote=Je suis un journaliste poursuivi et menacé de mort par les autorités états-uniennes du fait de mes activités professionnelles.}}</ref> In a December 2015 court submission, the US government confirmed its "sensitive, ongoing law enforcement proceeding into the Wikileaks matter".<ref>{{cite court |litigants=Manning v. U.S. Department of Justice and FBI |court=D.D.C. |date=15 December 2015 |url=https://cryptome.org/2015/12/manning-011.pdf |access-date=16 January 2016}}</ref> |
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Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Justice did not indict Assange because it was unable to find any evidence that his actions differed from those of a journalist.<ref name=":3"/> However, after Trump took power, CIA director [[Mike Pompeo]] and Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]] stepped up pursuit of Assange, rejecting the Obama-era view.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian E. |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |last3=Savage |first3=Charlie |title=How the Trump Administration Stepped Up Pursuit of WikiLeaks's Assange |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/trump-administration-assange-wikileaks.html |accessdate=8 September 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=16 November 2018}}</ref> |
Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Justice did not indict Assange because it was unable to find any evidence that his actions differed from those of a journalist.<ref name=":3"/> However, after Trump took power, CIA director [[Mike Pompeo]] and Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]] stepped up pursuit of Assange, rejecting the Obama-era view.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian E. |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |last3=Savage |first3=Charlie |title=How the Trump Administration Stepped Up Pursuit of WikiLeaks's Assange |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/trump-administration-assange-wikileaks.html |accessdate=8 September 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=16 November 2018}}</ref> |
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[[File: Sydney Wikileaks 2010-Dec-10.JPG|thumb|Demonstration in support of Assange in front of [[Sydney Town Hall]], 10 December 2010]] |
[[File: Sydney Wikileaks 2010-Dec-10.JPG|thumb|Demonstration in support of Assange in front of [[Sydney Town Hall]], 10 December 2010]] |
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Assange visited Sweden in August 2010. During his visit, he became the subject of sexual assault allegations from two women.<ref name="sex lies"/> He was questioned, the case was initially closed, and he was told he could leave the country. In November 2010, however, the case was reopened by a special prosecutor who said that she wanted to question Assange over two counts of sexual molestation, one count of unlawful coercion and one count of "lesser-degree rape" ({{lang-sv|mindre grov våldtäkt}}). Assange denied the allegations and said he was happy to face questions in Britain.<ref name="davies2010" /><ref name="humanrights">{{cite news|last=Addley|first=Esther|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/17/julian-assange-human-rights-violated-ecuador|title=Julian Assange has had his human rights violated, says Ecuador foreign minister|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|date=17 August 2014|access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> |
Assange visited Sweden in August 2010. During his visit, he became the subject of sexual assault allegations from two women.<ref name="sex lies">{{cite news |title=Sex, Lies and Julian Assange|date=23 July 2012|url=https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/sex-lies-and-julian-assange/4156420|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> He was questioned, the case was initially closed, and he was told he could leave the country. In November 2010, however, the case was reopened by a special prosecutor who said that she wanted to question Assange over two counts of sexual molestation, one count of unlawful coercion and one count of "lesser-degree rape" ({{lang-sv|mindre grov våldtäkt}}). Assange denied the allegations and said he was happy to face questions in Britain.<ref name="davies2010">{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Davies |title=10 days in Sweden: the full allegations against Julian Assange |work=The Guardian |location= London |date=17 December 2010 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/17/julian-assange-sweden |access-date=7 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="humanrights">{{cite news|last=Addley|first=Esther|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/17/julian-assange-human-rights-violated-ecuador|title=Julian Assange has had his human rights violated, says Ecuador foreign minister|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|date=17 August 2014|access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> |
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On 20 November 2010, the Swedish police issued an international arrest warrant |
On 20 November 2010, the Swedish police issued an international arrest warrant. On 8 December 2010, Assange gave himself up to British police and attended his first [[extradition]] hearing where he was remanded in custody. On 16 December 2010, at the second hearing, he was granted bail by the High Court and released after his supporters paid £240,000 in cash and sureties. A further hearing on 24 February 2011 ruled that Assange should be extradited to Sweden. This decision was upheld by the High Court on 2 November and by the Supreme Court on 30 May the next year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11949341|title=Timeline: Julian Assange saga|date=23 May 2019|accessdate=22 July 2019|publisher=BBC}}</ref> |
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After previously stating that she could not question a suspect by video link or in the Swedish embassy, prosecutor [[Marianne Ny]] wrote to the English [[Crown Prosecution Service]] (CPS) in 2013. Her letter advised that she intended to lift the detention order and withdraw the European arrest warrant as the actions were not proportionate to the costs and seriousness of the crime. In response, the CPS tried to dissuade Ny from doing so.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bowcott |first1=Owen |last2=MacAskill |first2=Ewen |title=Sweden tried to drop Assange extradition in 2013, CPS emails show |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/feb/11/sweden-tried-to-drop-assange-extradition-in-2013-cps-emails-show |accessdate=16 May 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=11 February 2018}}</ref> |
After previously stating that she could not question a suspect by video link or in the Swedish embassy, prosecutor [[Marianne Ny]] wrote to the English [[Crown Prosecution Service]] (CPS) in 2013. Her letter advised that she intended to lift the detention order and withdraw the European arrest warrant as the actions were not proportionate to the costs and seriousness of the crime. In response, the CPS tried to dissuade Ny from doing so.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bowcott |first1=Owen |last2=MacAskill |first2=Ewen |title=Sweden tried to drop Assange extradition in 2013, CPS emails show |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/feb/11/sweden-tried-to-drop-assange-extradition-in-2013-cps-emails-show |accessdate=16 May 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=11 February 2018}}</ref> |
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In March 2015, after public criticism from other Swedish law practitioners, Ny changed her mind about interrogating Assange, who had taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-14/julian-assange-to-be-interviewed-over-allegations-sexual-assault/8021186|title=Explained: Assange to be interviewed over sexual assault allegations|date=14 November 2016}}</ref> These interviews, which began on 14 November 2016, involved the police, Swedish prosecutors and Ecuadorian officials, and were eventually published online.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Domonoske|first1=Camila|title=Prosecutors Question Julian Assange Over Sex-Crime Accusations|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/14/501989661/prosecutors-question-julian-assange-over-sex-crime-accusations|access-date=14 November 2016|work=the two-way|publisher=NPR|date=14 November 2016}}</ref> By that time, the statute of limitations had expired on all three of the less serious allegations. Since the Swedish prosecutor had not interviewed Assange by 18 August 2015, the questioning pertained only to the open investigation of "lesser degree rape" |
In March 2015, after public criticism from other Swedish law practitioners, Ny changed her mind about interrogating Assange, who had taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-14/julian-assange-to-be-interviewed-over-allegations-sexual-assault/8021186|title=Explained: Assange to be interviewed over sexual assault allegations|date=14 November 2016}}</ref> These interviews, which began on 14 November 2016, involved the British police, Swedish prosecutors and Ecuadorian officials, and were eventually published online.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Domonoske|first1=Camila|title=Prosecutors Question Julian Assange Over Sex-Crime Accusations|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/14/501989661/prosecutors-question-julian-assange-over-sex-crime-accusations|access-date=14 November 2016|work=the two-way|publisher=NPR|date=14 November 2016}}</ref> By that time, the statute of limitations had expired on all three of the less serious allegations. Since the Swedish prosecutor had not interviewed Assange by 18 August 2015, the questioning pertained only to the open investigation of "lesser degree rape".<ref name="bbcdrop">{{Cite news|last=Hawley|first=Caroline|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33894757 |publisher=BBC News|date=12 August 2015 |title=Assange Assault Inquiry to Be Dropped}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12392781 |title=Wikileaks' Assange inquiry by Sweden 'improper' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=8 February 2011 |accessdate=31 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="TenDays">{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/17/julian-assange-sweden |title=10 days in Sweden: the full allegations against Julian Assange |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=17 December 2010 |accessdate=16 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="GreenLong">{{cite news |first=David Allen |last=Green |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2012/09/legal-mythology-extradition-julian-assange |title=The legal mythology of the extradition of Julian Assange |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313112337/http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2012/09/legal-mythology-extradition-julian-assange |archivedate=13 March 2014 |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=3 September 2012 |accessdate=13 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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On 19 May 2017, the Swedish authorities suspended their investigation |
On 19 May 2017, the Swedish authorities suspended their investigation, saying they could not expect the Ecuadorian Embassy to communicate reliably with Assange with respect to the case. Chief prosecutor Marianne Ny officially revoked his arrest warrant, but said the investigation could still be resumed if Assange visited Sweden before August 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39973864|title=Julian Assange: Sweden drops rape investigation|publisher=BBC News|date=19 May 2017|access-date=19 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Addley|first1=Esther|last2=Travis|first2=Alan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/19/swedish-prosecutors-drop-julian-assange-investigation|title=Swedish prosecutors drop Julian Assange rape investigation|work=The Guardian|date=19 May 2017|access-date=19 May 2017}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/5/19/human_rights_lawyer_sweden_dropping_investigation|title=Human Rights Lawyer: Sweden Dropping Investigation of WikiLeaks' Assange is "Long Overdue Decision"|last=Avila|first=Renata|date=19 May 2017|website=[[Democracy Now!]]|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> |
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Following Assange's arrest on 11 April 2019, the case was reopened under prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson |
Following Assange's arrest on 11 April 2019, the case was reopened under prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wikileaks-assange-sweden-idUSKCN1VU0IG|title=Swedish prosecutor reviewing witness accounts in Assange case|date=9 September 2019|agency=Reuters|access-date=9 September 2019}}</ref> On 19 November, she announced that she had discontinued her investigation, saying that the evidence was not strong enough. She added that although she was confident in the complainant, "the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed".<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50473792|title=Julian Assange: Sweden drops rape investigation|publisher=BBC|date=19 November 2019}}</ref> |
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==Entering the Ecuadorian embassy== |
==Entering the Ecuadorian embassy== |
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[[File: Julian Assange in Ecuadorian Embassy cropped.jpg|thumb|Assange on the balcony of [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian embassy in London]] in 2012]] |
[[File: Julian Assange in Ecuadorian Embassy cropped.jpg|thumb|Assange on the balcony of [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian embassy in London]] in 2012]] |
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On 19 June 2012, the Ecuadorian [[foreign minister]], [[Ricardo Patiño]], announced that Assange had applied for political asylum, that his government was considering the request, and that Assange was at the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian embassy in London]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Hough |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9342856/Julian-Assange-WikiLeaks-founder-seeks-political-asylum-from-Ecuador.html |title=Julian Assange: WikiLeaks founder seeks political asylum from Ecuador |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=19 June 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Alexandra |last1=Topping |first2=Shiv |last2=Malik |first3=David |last3=Batty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/20/julian-assange-asylum-ecuador-embassy-live |title=Julian Assange requests asylum at Ecuador embassy |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 June 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Donna |last=Bowater |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9365194/WikiLeaks-founder-Julian-Assange-to-remain-in-Ecuadorian-Embassy.html |title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to remain in Ecuadorian Embassy |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=29 June 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9352268/Julian-Assange-asylum-bid-ambassador-flies-into-Ecuador-for-talks-with-President-Correa.html |title=Julian Assange asylum bid: ambassador flies into Ecuador for talks with President Correa |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=23 June 2012 |accessdate=19 March 2014 }}</ref> |
On 19 June 2012, the Ecuadorian [[foreign minister]], [[Ricardo Patiño]], announced that Assange had applied for political asylum, that his government was considering the request, and that Assange was at the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian embassy in London]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Hough |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9342856/Julian-Assange-WikiLeaks-founder-seeks-political-asylum-from-Ecuador.html |title=Julian Assange: WikiLeaks founder seeks political asylum from Ecuador |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=19 June 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Alexandra |last1=Topping |first2=Shiv |last2=Malik |first3=David |last3=Batty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/20/julian-assange-asylum-ecuador-embassy-live |title=Julian Assange requests asylum at Ecuador embassy |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 June 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Donna |last=Bowater |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9365194/WikiLeaks-founder-Julian-Assange-to-remain-in-Ecuadorian-Embassy.html |title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to remain in Ecuadorian Embassy |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=29 June 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/9352268/Julian-Assange-asylum-bid-ambassador-flies-into-Ecuador-for-talks-with-President-Correa.html |title=Julian Assange asylum bid: ambassador flies into Ecuador for talks with President Correa |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=23 June 2012 |accessdate=19 March 2014 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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Assange breached bail conditions by staying in the embassy and faced arrest if he left. Assange's supporters, including journalist [[Jemima Goldsmith]], journalist [[John Pilger]], and film-maker [[Ken Loach]], forfeited £293,500 in bail and sureties.<ref name="JudgementSureties">{{cite web |url=https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/julian-assange-sureties-0810212/ |title=Professor Tricia David and other sureties for Julian Assange |work=Westminster Magistrates' Court |date=8 October 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19822033 |title=Julian Assange: Bail cash decision delayed |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=3 October 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref> Goldsmith said she was surprised at his asylum bid and expected him to face the Swedish allegations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/22/jemima-khan-julian-assange-allegations|title=Jemima Khan 'would like to see Julian Assange confront rape allegations'|first=David|last=Batty|work=The Guardian|date=22 June 2012}}</ref> |
Assange breached bail conditions by staying in the embassy and faced arrest if he left. Assange's supporters, including journalist [[Jemima Goldsmith]], journalist [[John Pilger]], and film-maker [[Ken Loach]], forfeited £293,500 in bail and sureties.<ref name="JudgementSureties">{{cite web |url=https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/julian-assange-sureties-0810212/ |title=Professor Tricia David and other sureties for Julian Assange |work=Westminster Magistrates' Court |date=8 October 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19822033 |title=Julian Assange: Bail cash decision delayed |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=3 October 2012 |accessdate=18 March 2014 }}</ref> Goldsmith said she was surprised at his asylum bid and expected him to face the Swedish allegations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/22/jemima-khan-julian-assange-allegations|title=Jemima Khan 'would like to see Julian Assange confront rape allegations'|first=David|last=Batty|work=The Guardian|date=22 June 2012}}</ref> |
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The UK government wrote to Patiño stating that the police were entitled to enter the embassy and arrest Assange under UK law.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/aug/16/julian-assange-ecuador-embassy-asylum |title= Julian Assange can be arrested in Ecuador embassy, the UK warns |last=Pearse |first=Damien |date=16 August 2012 |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=16 January 2016}}</ref> Patiño criticised what he said was an implied threat, stating that "such actions would be a blatant disregard of the [[Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations|Vienna Convention]]". Officers of the [[Metropolitan Police Service]] were stationed outside from June 2012 to October 2015 to arrest Assange for breaching the bail conditions and to compel him to attend court to face the Swedish extradition appeal hearing, should he leave the embassy. The police guard was withdrawn on grounds of cost in October 2015, but the police said they would still deploy "several overt and covert tactics to arrest him". The cost of the policing for the period was reported to have been £12.6 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34508500 |title=Julian Assange: Police end guard at Wikileaks founder's embassy refuge |publisher=BBC News |date=12 October 2015 }}</ref> |
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Wikileaks insiders stated that Assange decided to seek asylum because he felt abandoned by the Australian government. The Australian attorney-general |
Wikileaks insiders stated that Assange decided to seek asylum because he felt abandoned by the Australian government. The Australian attorney-general, [[Nicola Roxon]], had written to Assange's lawyer, [[Jennifer Robinson (lawyer)|Jennifer Robinson]], saying that Australia would not seek to involve itself in any international exchanges about Assange's future. She suggested that if Assange was imprisoned in the US, he could apply for an international prisoner transfer to Australia. Assange's lawyers described the letter as a "declaration of abandonment".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dorling |first1=Philip |title=Assange felt 'abandoned' by Australian government after letter from Roxon |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/assange-felt-abandoned-by-australian-government-after-letter-from-roxon-20120620-20npj.html |accessdate=19 November 2018 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=20 June 2012}}</ref> |
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Assange and his supporters said he was not concerned about any proceedings in Sweden as such, but believed that his deportation to Sweden could lead to politically motivated deportation to the United States, where he could face severe penalties, up to the [[death sentence]], for his activities related to WikiLeaks.<ref name=beeb150313>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19426382 |title=Q&A: Julian Assange and the law |publisher=BBC News|date=13 March 2015 |access-date= 5 February 2016}}</ref> |
Assange and his supporters said he was not concerned about any proceedings in Sweden as such, but believed that his deportation to Sweden could lead to politically motivated deportation to the United States, where he could face severe penalties, up to the [[death sentence]], for his activities related to WikiLeaks.<ref name=beeb150313>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19426382 |title=Q&A: Julian Assange and the law |publisher=BBC News|date=13 March 2015 |access-date= 5 February 2016}}</ref> |
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[[File:Reunión con Julian Assange - 9060714006.jpg|thumb|left|Ecuadoran foreign minister Ricardo Patiño met with Assange at the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian Embassy]] on 16 June 2013]] |
[[File:Reunión con Julian Assange - 9060714006.jpg|thumb|left|Ecuadoran foreign minister Ricardo Patiño met with Assange at the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian Embassy]] on 16 June 2013]] |
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On 16 August 2012, Patiño announced that Ecuador was granting Assange political asylum because of the threat represented by the United States secret investigation against him.<ref>[https://www.webcitation.org/69xdGRSLN?url=http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/2012/com042.asp "Declaración del Gobierno de la República del Ecuador sobre la solicitud de asilo de Julian Assange"], Comunicado No. 042, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador, 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>Lee Ferran and Raisa Bruner, [https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ecuador-grants-wikileaks-founder-assange-political-asylum/story?id=17018133 "Ecuador grants WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange political asylum"], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] News, 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19281492 "Julian Assange: Ecuador grants WikiLeaks founder asylum"], [[BBC]] News, 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57494614/u.k.-wikileaks-assange-wont-be-allowed-to-leave/ "U.K.: WikiLeaks' Assange won't be allowed to leave"], [[CBS]] News, 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref> In its formal statement, Ecuador |
On 16 August 2012, Patiño announced that Ecuador was granting Assange political asylum because of the threat represented by the United States secret investigation against him.<ref>[https://www.webcitation.org/69xdGRSLN?url=http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/2012/com042.asp "Declaración del Gobierno de la República del Ecuador sobre la solicitud de asilo de Julian Assange"], Comunicado No. 042, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador, 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>Lee Ferran and Raisa Bruner, [https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ecuador-grants-wikileaks-founder-assange-political-asylum/story?id=17018133 "Ecuador grants WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange political asylum"], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] News, 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19281492 "Julian Assange: Ecuador grants WikiLeaks founder asylum"], [[BBC]] News, 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57494614/u.k.-wikileaks-assange-wont-be-allowed-to-leave/ "U.K.: WikiLeaks' Assange won't be allowed to leave"], [[CBS]] News, 16 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref> In its formal statement, Ecuador said that "as a consequence of Assange's determined defense to freedom of expression and freedom of press… in any given moment, a situation may come where his life, safety or personal integrity will be in danger".<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement of the Government of the Republic of Ecuador on the asylum request of Julian Assange |url= http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/eng/2012/com042.asp |access-date=8 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130615201655/http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/eng/2012/com042.asp |archivedate=15 June 2013}}</ref> Latin American states expressed support for Ecuador.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19314618 "Julian Assange row: Ecuador backed by South America".] BBC News. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/aug/20/julian-assange-uk-south-america "Julian Assange: UK embassy 'threat' angers South American leaders".] ''[[The Guardian]]'' (London). 20 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120916114201/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jKPtqbrZHOm4naqzT6C6FUuxeYmA?docId=CNG.c584f801a9bbca073bc20d83ddb3d490.4e1 "American states back Ecuador over Assange"], Google News ([[Agence France-Presse]]), 25 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref name="Xinhua">[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/25/c_131806424.htm "OAS urges Ecuador, Britain to end row peacefully"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830133502/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/25/c_131806424.htm |date=30 August 2012 }}. [[Xinhua News Agency]] (Beijing). 25 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref> Ecuadorian [[List of heads of state of Ecuador|President]] [[Rafael Correa]] confirmed on 18 August that Assange could stay at the embassy indefinitely,<ref>Nathan Gill and Randy Woods, [http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-17/correa-says-assange-may-stay-in-ecuador-embassy-indefinitely "Correa says Assange may stay in Ecuador embassy indefinitely"], ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'', 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821031523/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-17/correa-says-assange-may-stay-in-ecuador-embassy-indefinitely |date=21 August 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2012/08/201282416129648419.html "Ricardo Patiño: Ecuador 'acts on principles',"] [[Al Jazeera]], 26 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/08/201282162054647438.html "Ecuadorians rally behind Assange asylum bid,"] [[Al Jazeera]], 21 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref> and the following day Assange gave his first speech from the balcony.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/full-transcript-of-julian-assanges-speech-outside-ecuadors-london-embassy-8061466.html "Full transcript of Julian Assange's speech outside Ecuador's London embassy"]. ''[[The Independent]]'' (London). 19 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19310335 "Julian Assange urges US to end WikiLeaks 'witch-hunt',"] BBC News, 19 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref> An office converted into a studio apartment, equipped with a bed, telephone, sun lamp, computer, shower, treadmill, and [[kitchenette]], became his home from then until 11 April 2019.<ref>Atika Shubert, [http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/25/world/europe/wikileaks-assange/ "Embassy life like 'a space station,' Assange says,"] [[CNN]], 26 October 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>Ben Child, [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/apr/11/oliver-stone-julian-assange-wikileaks "Oliver Stone meets Julian Assange and criticises new WikiLeaks films,"] ''[[The Guardian]]'', 11 April 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref><ref>Alexandra Valencia, [http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/05/28/ecuador-julian-assange-idINDEE94R0G020130528 "Ecuador says UK violating human rights of WikiLeaks' Assange,"] [[Reuters]], 29 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2014.</ref> |
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==Activities in the embassy== |
==Activities in the embassy== |
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In July 2012, Wikileaks began publishing the [[Syria Files]], a collection of more than two million emails from [[Syria|Syrian]] political figures, government ministries and companies. Assange said the "Syria Files" "helps us not merely to criticise one group or another, but to understand their interests, actions and thoughts. It is only through understanding this conflict that we can hope to resolve it".<ref>{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks says starts releasing hacked Syria emails |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-wikileaks/wikileaks-says-starts-releasing-hacked-syria-emails-idUSBRE8640HK20120705 |agency=Reuters |date=5 July 2012}}</ref> |
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According to documents CNN obtained from an Ecuadorian intelligence official, Assange continued to publish Wikileaks material while in the embassy.<ref name=assangethrewup>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/assange-embassy-exclusive-documents/index.html|title=Exclusive: Security reports reveal how Assange turned an embassy into a command post for election meddling|publisher=CNN|date=15 July 2019|accessdate=17 July 2019}}</ref> |
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Assange stood for the [[Australian Senate]] in the [[2013 Australian federal election]] for the newly formed [[WikiLeaks Party]] but failed to win a seat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/election-2013-assange-wikileaks-party|title=Julian Assange: WikiLeaks party will continue|publisher=The Guardian|date=8 September 2013}}</ref> The party was wracked by internal dissent over its governance and electoral tactics and was deregistered due to low membership numbers in 2015.<ref>{{cite website|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/wikileaks-party-deregistered-says-aec-review-uses-old-technology |title=WikiLeaks Party deregistered, says AEC review uses 'old' technology |first=Claire|last=Reilly |publisher=CNET |date=23 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julian-assange-wants-full-control-of-wikileaks-party-says-party-figure/news-story/8cffa82c265317714abf870857da009f|title=Julian Assange wants full control of WikiLeaks Party, says party figure|first=Jared|last=Owens|publisher=The Australian|date=14 March 2014}}</ref> |
Assange stood for the [[Australian Senate]] in the [[2013 Australian federal election]] for the newly formed [[WikiLeaks Party]] but failed to win a seat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/08/election-2013-assange-wikileaks-party|title=Julian Assange: WikiLeaks party will continue|publisher=The Guardian|date=8 September 2013}}</ref> The party was wracked by internal dissent over its governance and electoral tactics and was deregistered due to low membership numbers in 2015.<ref>{{cite website|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/wikileaks-party-deregistered-says-aec-review-uses-old-technology |title=WikiLeaks Party deregistered, says AEC review uses 'old' technology |first=Claire|last=Reilly |publisher=CNET |date=23 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julian-assange-wants-full-control-of-wikileaks-party-says-party-figure/news-story/8cffa82c265317714abf870857da009f|title=Julian Assange wants full control of WikiLeaks Party, says party figure|first=Jared|last=Owens|publisher=The Australian|date=14 March 2014|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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In 2013, Assange and others in WikiLeaks helped whistleblower [[Edward Snowden]] flee from US law enforcement. After the United States cancelled Snowden's passport, stranding him in Russia, they considered transporting him to Latin America on the presidential jet of a sympathetic Latin American leader. In order to throw the US off the scent, they spoke about the jet of the Bolivian president [[Evo Morales]], instead of the jet they were considering. As a result, [[Evo Morales grounding incident|Morales' jet was forced to land]] in Austria in July 2013. |
In 2013, Assange and others in WikiLeaks helped whistleblower [[Edward Snowden]] flee from US law enforcement. After the United States cancelled Snowden's passport, stranding him in Russia, they considered transporting him to Latin America on the presidential jet of a sympathetic Latin American leader. In order to throw the US off the scent, they spoke about the jet of the Bolivian president [[Evo Morales]], instead of the jet they were considering.{{fv|date=September 2020}} As a result, [[Evo Morales grounding incident|Morales' jet was forced to land]]{{by whom|date=September 2020}} in Austria in July 2013. Assange said the grounding "reveals the true nature of the relationship between Western Europe and the United States" as "a phone call from U.S. intelligence was enough to close the airspace to a booked presidential flight, which has immunity". Assange advised Snowden that he would be safest in Russia which was better able to protect its borders than Venezuela, Brazil or Ecuador.<ref name="dn280515">{{cite web |title=Assange on the Untold Story of the Grounding of Evo Morales’ Plane During Edward Snowden Manhunt |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/28/assange_on_the_untold_story_of |website=Democracy Now! |accessdate=10 September 2020 |language=en |date=28 May 2015}}</ref> In 2015, Maria Luisa Ramos, the Bolivian ambassador to Russia, accused Assange of putting Morales' life at risk.<ref name="Silva">{{cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/julian-assange-wikileaks-update-edward-snowden-rumor-put-bolivian-presidents-life-1881584|title=Julian Assange WikiLeaks Update: Edward Snowden Rumor Put Bolivian President's Life In Danger, Bolivia Claims|first=Cristina|last=Silva|work=International Business Times|date=14 April 2015|accessdate=8 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="dn280515"/> Assange stated that he regretted what happened but that "[w]e can’t predict that other countries engage in some ... unprecedented criminal operation".<ref name="dn280515"/><ref name="Silva"/> |
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In 2013, Assange analysed the [[Kissinger cables]] held at the [[National Archives and Records Administration|US National Archives]] and released them in searchable form.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/9977979/Kissinger-Cables-Wikileaks-publishes-1.7m-US-diplomatic-documents-from-1970s.html |title=Kissinger Cables: Wikileaks publishes 1.7m US diplomatic documents from 1970s |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=8 April 2013 |accessdate=22 March 2014 }}</ref> On 15 September 2014, |
In 2013, Assange analysed the [[Kissinger cables]] held at the [[National Archives and Records Administration|US National Archives]] and released them in searchable form.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/9977979/Kissinger-Cables-Wikileaks-publishes-1.7m-US-diplomatic-documents-from-1970s.html |title=Kissinger Cables: Wikileaks publishes 1.7m US diplomatic documents from 1970s |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=8 April 2013 |accessdate=22 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |
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Documents provided by Edward Snowden showed that in 2012 and 2013 the NZ government worked to establish a secret mass surveillance programme which it called "Operation Speargun". On 15 September 2014, Assange appeared via remote video link on [[Kim Dotcom]]'s ''Moment of Truth'' town hall meeting held in [[Auckland]] which discussed the programme. Assange said the Snowden documents showed that he had been a target of the programme and that "Operation Speargun" represented "an extreme, bizarre, Orwellian future that is being constructed secretly in New Zealand".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2014/sep/15/kim-dotcom-accused-nz-government-of-mass-spying-live|title=Kim Dotcom accuses New Zealand government of mass spying – live updates|author=Michael Safi & Hannah Jane Parkinson|date=15 September 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref> |
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By 2015, WikiLeaks had published more than ten million documents and associated analyses, and was described by Assange as "a giant library of the world's most persecuted documents".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/spiegel-interview-with-wikileaks-head-julian-assange-a-1044399.html |title=Interview with Julian Assange: 'We Are Drowning in Material'|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=20 July 2015 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> |
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[[File:Simpatizantes de Julian Assange se reúnen en los exteriores de la embajada ecuatoriana en Londres. (9060379800).jpg|thumb|Demonstration outside the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian embassy]] to free Assange, 16 June 2013]] |
[[File:Simpatizantes de Julian Assange se reúnen en los exteriores de la embajada ecuatoriana en Londres. (9060379800).jpg|thumb|Demonstration outside the [[Embassy of Ecuador, London|Ecuadorian embassy]] to free Assange, 16 June 2013]] |
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In June 2015, Wikileaks began publishing confidential and secret [[Saudi Arabia]]n government documents.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Markson |first1=Sharri |title=UK deal to back Saudi Arabia for UN Human Rights Council exposed |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/world/uk-deal-to-back-saudi-arabia-for-un-human-rights-council-exposed/news-story/9e469a9f92cd9a3fe2c778068aedb73a |accessdate=27 October 2019 |publisher=The Australian |date=29 September 2015|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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On 3 July 2015, Paris newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'' published an open letter from Assange to French President [[François Hollande]] in which Assange urged the French government to grant him refugee status.<ref name="Hollande"/> In response to this letter, the French President said: "France cannot act on his request. The situation of Mr Assange does not present an immediate danger."<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/03/france-rejects-julian-assange-wikileaks-asylum-request |date=3 July 2015 |title=France rejects Julian Assange's asylum request |work=The Guardian |location= London}}</ref> On 4 July 2015, [[Baltasar Garzón]], head of Assange's legal team, said that Assange had sent the open letter to French president François Hollande; but Assange had only expressed his willingness "to be hosted in France if and only if an initiative was taken by the competent authorities".<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/04/julian-assange-denies-making-asylum-request-that-was-refused-by-france |date=4 July 2015 |title=Julian Assange denies making asylum request that was refused by France |work=The Guardian |location= London}}</ref> |
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[[File:John Pilger, Richard Gizbert, and Julian Assange - The Wikileaks Files - Book Launch - London - 29th September 2015.jpg|thumb|[[John Pilger]], [[Richard Gizbert]], and Julian Assange – 'The WikiLeaks Files' Book Launch – [[Foyles]], London, 29 September 2015]] |
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On 3 July 2015, Paris newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'' published an open letter from Assange to French President [[François Hollande]] in which Assange urged the French government to grant him refugee status.<ref name="Hollande"/> Assange stated that one of his children lives in France with the child's mother. He also said his family had faced death threats and harassment because of his work, forcing them to change identities and reduce contact with him.<ref name="Hollande"/> In response to this letter, Hollande said: "France cannot act on his request. The situation of Mr Assange does not present an immediate danger."<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/03/france-rejects-julian-assange-wikileaks-asylum-request |date=3 July 2015 |title=France rejects Julian Assange's asylum request |work=The Guardian |location= London}}</ref> On 4 July 2015, [[Baltasar Garzón]], head of Assange's legal team, said that Assange had sent the open letter to Hollande; but Assange had only expressed his willingness "to be hosted in France if and only if an initiative was taken by the competent authorities".<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/04/julian-assange-denies-making-asylum-request-that-was-refused-by-france |date=4 July 2015 |title=Julian Assange denies making asylum request that was refused by France |work=The Guardian |location= London}}</ref> |
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In September 2016, Assange said he would agree to US prison in exchange for [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] granting [[Chelsea Manning]] [[List of people granted executive clemency by Barack Obama|clemency]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/776437869376262144|title=If Obama grants Manning clemency|last1=WikiLeaks|date=15 September 2016|work=Twitter|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223144309/https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/776437869376262144|archivedate=23 December 2016|url-status=dead}}{{Primary source inline|date=January 2020}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38659068|title=Obama commutes Chelsea Manning sentence|date=17 January 2017|publisher=BBC News|access-date=17 January 2017}}</ref> Obama commuted Manning's sentence on 17 January 2017.<ref name=":5" /> The next day, at his final presidential news conference, Obama stated, "I don't pay a lot of attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration in this instance."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/obama-final-press-conference.html |title=Obama's Last News Conference: Full Transcript and Video |date=18 January 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=21 July 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119002820/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/obama-final-press-conference.html |archivedate=19 January 2017 }}</ref> The same day, Assange's US-based attorney Barry Pollack asserted (without saying when or where) that Assange "had called for Chelsea Manning to receive clemency and be released immediately". Accordingly, Pollack maintained, the [[Commutation (law)|commutation]]—which specified Manning would be freed four months thence—did not meet Assange's conditions.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/314783-assange-lawyer-conditions-not-met-for-assange-manning-extradition-offer |title=Assange lawyer: Manning commutation doesn't meet extradition offer's conditions |date=18 January 2017 |newspaper=The Hill |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref> On 17 May 2017, Manning was released from prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/exclusive-chelsea-manning-tells-abc-news-past-affect/story?id=47452624|title=Chelsea Manning released: The past 'is only my starting point, not my final destination'|publisher=ABC News|date=17 May 2017|first=Nadine|last=Shubailai }}</ref> Two days later, Assange emerged on the embassy's balcony and told a crowd that, despite no longer facing a Swedish sex investigation, he would remain inside the embassy to avoid extradition to the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/sweden-drops-julian-assange-rape-investigation/ |title=Julian Assange emerges on embassy balcony to say he will not 'forgive or forget' as Swedish rape investigation is dropped |date=19 May 2017 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref> |
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[[File:John Pilger, Richard Gizbert, and Julian Assange - The Wikileaks Files - Book Launch - London - 29th September 2015.jpg|thumb|[[John Pilger]], [[Richard Gizbert]], and Julian Assange – 'The WikiLeaks Files' Book Launch – [[Foyles]], London, 29 September 2015]] |
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In 2015, Assange began a relationship with Stella Moris-Smith Robertson, his South African-born lawyer. The couple became engaged in 2017. The relationship was first revealed by Moris-Smith Robertson in 2020, during an interview with the [[Mail on Sunday]], because she feared for Assange’s life and wanted to speak out. She said that she and Assange had two children together, both of whom were conceived during Assange’s time in the embassy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aap.com.au/assanges-partner-pleas-for-his-release/ |title=Assange's partner pleas for his release |publisher=[[Australian Associated Press]] |date=12 April 2020 |accessdate=12 April 2020 |author=Jones, Alan}}</ref><ref name=guardian200412>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/12/release-julian-assange-says-woman-who-had-two-children-with-him-while-in-embassy|title=Release Julian Assange, says woman who had two children with him while in embassy|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Otte|first=Jedidajah|date=12 April 2020|access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=sbs200412>{{cite news |title=Julian Assange's fiancee publicly joins the campaign for his release |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/julian-assange-s-fiancee-publicly-joins-the-campaign-for-his-release |accessdate=12 April 2020 |agency=AAP |publisher=SBS |date=12 April 2020}}</ref> |
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On 17 October 2016, WikiLeaks announced that a "state party" had severed Assange's Internet connection at the Ecuadorian embassy.<ref name="Daily Dot Internet">{{cite web |last=Couts |first=Andrew |url=http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/wikileaks-podesta-emails-part-11-julian-assange-internet-cut/|title=WikiLeaks publishes more Podesta emails after Ecuador cuts Assange's Internet |work=The Daily Dot |access-date=23 October 2016|date=18 October 2016 }}</ref> The Ecuadorian government stated that it had "temporarily" severed Assange's Internet connection because of WikiLeaks' release of documents "impacting on the US election campaign".<ref>{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Cory |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/ecuador-admits-restricting-internet-access-for-wikileaks-over-election-meddling-229963 |title=Ecuador admits restricting Internet access for WikiLeaks over election meddling |work=Politico |access-date=23 October 2016}}</ref> In an interview published on 29 December, Assange said, "The Internet has been returned."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greanvillepost.com/2016/12/29/julian-assange-donald-its-a-change-anyway/|title=Julian Assange: "Donald? It's a change anyway"|work=The Greanville Post|date=29 December 2016}}</ref> |
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In September 2016, Assange said he would agree to US prison in exchange for [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] granting [[Chelsea Manning]] clemency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/776437869376262144|title=If Obama grants Manning clemency|last1=WikiLeaks|date=15 September 2016|work=Twitter|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223144309/https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/776437869376262144|archivedate=23 December 2016|url-status=dead}}{{Primary source inline|date=January 2020}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38659068|title=Obama commutes Chelsea Manning sentence|date=17 January 2017|publisher=BBC News|access-date=17 January 2017}}</ref> Obama commuted Manning's sentence on 17 January 2017.<ref name=":5" /> The next day, Obama saidd, "I don't pay a lot of attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration in this instance".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/obama-final-press-conference.html |title=Obama's Last News Conference: Full Transcript and Video |date=18 January 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=21 July 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119002820/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/obama-final-press-conference.html |archivedate=19 January 2017 }}</ref> The same day, Assange's US-based attorney Barry Pollack said that Assange had called for Manning to be released immediately. Accordingly, Pollack maintained, the [[Commutation (law)|commutation]]—which specified Manning would be freed four months thence—did not meet Assange's conditions.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/314783-assange-lawyer-conditions-not-met-for-assange-manning-extradition-offer |title=Assange lawyer: Manning commutation doesn't meet extradition offer's conditions |date=18 January 2017 |newspaper=The Hill |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref> On 17 May 2017, Manning was released from prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/exclusive-chelsea-manning-tells-abc-news-past-affect/story?id=47452624|title=Chelsea Manning released: The past 'is only my starting point, not my final destination'|publisher=ABC News|date=17 May 2017|first=Nadine|last=Shubailai }}</ref> Two days later, Assange emerged on the embassy's balcony and told a crowd that, despite no longer facing a Swedish sex investigation, he would remain inside the embassy to avoid extradition to the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/sweden-drops-julian-assange-rape-investigation/ |title=Julian Assange emerges on embassy balcony to say he will not 'forgive or forget' as Swedish rape investigation is dropped |date=19 May 2017 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=21 July 2017|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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===Yemen War and CIA leaks=== |
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On 25 November 2016, WikiLeaks released emails and internal documents that provided details on the US military operations in [[Yemen]] from 2009 to March 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last=Murdock |first=Jason |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/wikileaks-releases-500-files-allegedly-showing-us-arming-funding-yemeni-forces-1593474 |title=The Yemen Files: WikiLeaks 500 files allegedly show US 'arming and funding' Yemeni forces |work=International Business Times UK |date=25 November 2016 }}</ref><ref name="yemenconflict">{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks Drops New Information Relating To Arms Industry Corruption & War in Yemen |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/5092904/wikileaks-arms-industry-corruption-war-yemen/ |work=The Inquisitr |date=28 September 2018}}</ref> In a statement accompanying release of "Yemen Files", Assange said about the [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen#United States|US involvement in the Yemen war]]: "The war in Yemen has produced 3.15 million internally displaced persons. Although the United States government has provided most of the bombs and is deeply involved in the conduct of the war itself reportage on the war in English is conspicuously rare."<ref name="yemenconflict"/> |
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On 17 October 2016, WikiLeaks announced that a "state party" had severed Assange's Internet connection at the Ecuadorian embassy.<ref name="Daily Dot Internet">{{cite web |last=Couts |first=Andrew |url=http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/wikileaks-podesta-emails-part-11-julian-assange-internet-cut/|title=WikiLeaks publishes more Podesta emails after Ecuador cuts Assange's Internet |work=The Daily Dot |access-date=23 October 2016|date=18 October 2016 }}</ref> The Ecuadorian government stated that it had "temporarily" severed Assange's Internet connection because of WikiLeaks' release of documents "impacting on the US election campaign".<ref>{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Cory |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/ecuador-admits-restricting-internet-access-for-wikileaks-over-election-meddling-229963 |title=Ecuador admits restricting Internet access for WikiLeaks over election meddling |work=Politico |access-date=23 October 2016}}</ref> In an interview published on 29 December, Assange said, "The Internet has been returned."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greanvillepost.com/2016/12/29/julian-assange-donald-its-a-change-anyway/|title=Julian Assange: "Donald? It's a change anyway"|work=The Greanville Post|date=29 December 2016}}</ref> |
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In April 2017, then [[CIA]] director [[Mike Pompeo]], in a speech to the [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]], called WikiLeaks "a [[Non-state actor|non-state]] hostile [[intelligence service]] often abetted by state actors like Russia".<ref>{{cite news |title=CIA chief calls WikiLeaks a 'hostile intelligence service' |author=Warren Strobel |author2=Mark Hosenball |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-wikileaks-idUSKBN17F2L8 |agency=Reuters |date=13 April 2017}}</ref> Pompeo's accusation followed a series of "damaging leaks" of confidential documents, codenamed [[Vault 7]], that included details on the CIA's [[Cyberwarfare|hacking capabilities]].<ref>{{cite news |title=CIA chief calls WikiLeaks a 'hostile intelligence service' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-wikileaks-idUSKBN17F2L8 |agency=Reuters |date=13 April 2017}}</ref> Assange accused the CIA of trying to "subvert" his [[First Amendment rights]], saying that "History shows the danger of allowing the CIA or any intelligence agency, whose very modus operandi includes misdirection and lying, to be the sole arbiter of what is true or what is prudent. Otherwise, every day might see a repeat of the many foolish CIA actions which have led to death, displacement, dictatorship and terrorism."<ref>{{cite news |title=Assange lashes out against CIA after Pompeo rips WikiLeaks |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/assange-lashes-out-against-cia-after-pompeo-rips-wikileaks |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=15 April 2017}}</ref> |
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On 25 November 2016, WikiLeaks released emails and internal documents that provided details on the US military operations in [[Yemen]] from 2009 to March 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last=Murdock |first=Jason |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/wikileaks-releases-500-files-allegedly-showing-us-arming-funding-yemeni-forces-1593474 |title=The Yemen Files: WikiLeaks 500 files allegedly show US 'arming and funding' Yemeni forces |work=International Business Times UK |date=25 November 2016 }}</ref><ref name="yemenconflict">{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks Drops New Information Relating To Arms Industry Corruption & War in Yemen |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/5092904/wikileaks-arms-industry-corruption-war-yemen/ |work=The Inquisitr |date=28 September 2018}}</ref> |
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In August 2017, in the midst of the [[2017–19 Qatar diplomatic crisis|Qatar diplomatic crisis]], Saudi-owned newspaper ''[[Al Arabiya]]'', based in [[Dubai]], said that Assange "has seven cables about [[Qatar]] and only five were published" after Qatar negotiated with WikiLeaks. Assange responded that "The Al Arabiya network (HQ in UAE) has been publishing increasingly absurd fabrications as the UAE v Qatar dispute continues."<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikileaks founder Assange slams Al Arabiya report against Qatar as 'absurd fabrication' |url=https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/22/08/2017/Wikileaks-founder-Assange-slams-Al-Arabiya-report-against-Qatar-as-%E2%80%98absurd-fabrication%E2%80%99 |work=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)|The Peninsula]] |date=22 August 2017}}</ref> |
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In December 2016, Wikileaks published emails from the Turkish government in response to [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdoğan]]'s [[2016–present purges in Turkey|post-coup purges in Turkey]]. The emails covered the period from 2010 to July 2016. In response, Turkey blocked access to the Wikileaks site.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewontin |first1=Max |title=Turkey blocks access to WikiLeaks after email leak |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0720/Turkey-blocks-access-to-WikiLeaks-after-email-leak |accessdate=12 September 2020 |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=20 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Revealed: The Four Articles That Got Wikipedia Banned in Turkey |url=https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/turkey/revealed-the-four-articles-that-got-wikipedia-banned-in-turkey-1.6032214 |work=Haaretz |date=26 April 2018|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Latest Wikileaks Dump Sheds New Light on Erdogan's Power in Turkey |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/07/latest-wikileaks-dump-sheds-light-erdogan-turkey-berat-albayrak-redhack-hackers-oil/ |work=Foreign Policy |date=7 December 2016}}</ref> |
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A 2017 article in ''[[Foreign Policy]]'' asserted that in mid-2016 WikiLeaks turned down leaks on the Russian government during the US presidential campaign, stating "the leak organization ignored damaging information on the Kremlin to focus on Hillary Clinton and election-related hacks".<ref name=ForeignPolicy>{{cite news |last1=MCLAUGHLIN |first1=JENNA |title=WikiLeaks Turned Down Leaks on Russian Government During U.S. Presidential Campaign |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/17/wikileaks-turned-down-leaks-on-russian-government-during-u-s-presidential-campaign/ |agency=FP |publisher=FP |date=17 August 2017}}</ref> This was disputed by Wikileaks which said that as far as it could recall the material was "already public".<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> The cache had previously been reported on by the BBC and other news outlets to reveal details about Russian military and intelligence involvement in Ukraine.<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> The ''Foreign Policy'' article also argued that Assange's position on Russia had evolved. Assange's relationship with Russia "started as adversarial" as in he had in October 2010 "teased a massive dump of documents that would expose wrongdoing in the Kremlin, teaming up with a Russian news site for the rollout".<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> However, Assange by 2012 had his own show on the RT network, and in 2016 he publicly criticised Novaya Gazeta's coverage of the [[Panama Papers]], suggesting that "reporters had 'cherry-picked' the documents to publish for optimal 'Putin bashing, North Korea bashing, sanctions bashing, etc.' while giving Western figures a pass."<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> Russian investigative reporter Roman Shleynov said in an interview with the ''New York Times'' that it was a surprise for him to hear that "Mr Assange was repeating the same excuse that our officials, even back in Soviet days, used to say – that it's all some conspiracy from abroad."<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> |
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==2016 U.S. presidential election== |
==2016 U.S. presidential election== |
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During the 2016 [[United States Democratic Party|US Democratic Party]] presidential primaries, WikiLeaks hosted [[Hillary Clinton email controversy|emails]] sent or received by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton while she was [[Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State|Secretary of State]]. The emails had been released by the [[United States Department of State|US State Department]] under a [[Freedom of information in the United States|Freedom of information]] request in February 2016.<ref name=Independent4Jul2016>{{cite news|last1= Carissimo| first1=Justin| title=WikiLeaks publishes more than 1,000 Hillary Clinton war emails|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/wikileaks-publishes-more-than-1000-hillary-clinton-war-emails-a7120011.html|access-date=5 July 2016|work=The Independent | location= UK |date=4 July 2016}}</ref> WikiLeaks also created a search engine for the emails.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wikileaks-publishes-searchable-archive-of-clinton-emails |title=WikiLeaks publishes searchable archive of Clinton emails |newspaper=[[Washington Examiner]] |accessdate=May 9, 2016 }}</ref> The emails were a major point of discussion during the presidential election.<ref name="time050716">{{cite news |last1=Calabresi |first1=Massimo |title=Why the FBI Let Hillary Clinton Off the Hook |url=https://time.com/4394178/hillary-clinton-email-fbi-investigation/ |accessdate=13 September 2020 |work=Time |date=5 July 2016}}</ref> |
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===Criticism of Clinton and Trump=== |
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Assange wrote on WikiLeaks in February 2016: "I have had years of experience in dealing with Hillary Clinton and have read thousands of her cables. Hillary lacks judgment and will push the United States into endless, stupid wars which spread terrorism. ... she certainly should not become president of the United States."<ref>{{cite news|url= http://observer.com/2016/06/why-julian-assange-doesnt-want-hillary-clinton-to-be-president/|title=Why Julian Assange Doesn't Want Hillary Clinton to Be President|date=24 June 2016|work=[[The Observer]]}}</ref> On 25 July, following the [[Republican National Convention]] (RNC), during an interview by [[Amy Goodman]], Assange said that choosing between Hillary Clinton and [[Donald Trump]] is like choosing between cholera or gonorrhea. "Personally, I would prefer neither."<ref name="compares" /><ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/2016/7/25/julian_assange_choosing_between_trump_or Julian Assange: Choosing Between Trump or Clinton is Like Picking Between Cholera or Gonorrhea], 25 July 2016 ([[Democracy Now!]] website)</ref><ref>"[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/julian-assange-us-election-2016-226281 Assange: 2016 election is like choosing between 'cholera or gonorrhea']". ''[[Politico]].'' 27 July 2016.</ref> WikiLeaks editor [[Sarah Harrison (journalist)|Sarah Harrison]] stated that the site was not choosing which damaging publications to release, rather releasing information available to them.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-11/how-julian-assange-turned-wikileaks-into-trump-s-best-friend|title=How Julian Assange Turned WikiLeaks into Trump's Best Friend|access-date=27 October 2016|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.}}</ref> In an [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]] statement, Assange criticised both Clinton and Trump, saying that "The Democratic and Republican candidates have both expressed hostility towards whistleblowers."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/2016/11/08/wikileaks-criticizes-both-hillary-clinton-and-donald-trump-condemns-mccarthyite-russia-accusations/|title=WikiLeaks criticizes both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, condemns "McCarthyite" Russia accusations|date=9 November 2018|work=Salon}}</ref> |
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In February 2016, Assange wrote: "I have had years of experience in dealing with Hillary Clinton and have read thousands of her cables. Hillary lacks judgment and will push the United States into endless, stupid wars which spread terrorism. ... she certainly should not become president of the United States."<ref>{{cite news|url= http://observer.com/2016/06/why-julian-assange-doesnt-want-hillary-clinton-to-be-president/|title=Why Julian Assange Doesn't Want Hillary Clinton to Be President|date=24 June 2016|work=[[The Observer]]}}</ref> On 25 July, following the [[Republican National Convention]], Assange said that choosing between Hillary Clinton and [[Donald Trump]] is like choosing between cholera or gonorrhea. "Personally, I would prefer neither."<ref name="compares" /><ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/2016/7/25/julian_assange_choosing_between_trump_or Julian Assange: Choosing Between Trump or Clinton is Like Picking Between Cholera or Gonorrhea], 25 July 2016 ([[Democracy Now!]] website)</ref><ref>"[http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/julian-assange-us-election-2016-226281 Assange: 2016 election is like choosing between 'cholera or gonorrhea']". ''[[Politico]].'' 27 July 2016.</ref> In an [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]] statement, Assange criticised both Clinton and Trump, saying that "The Democratic and Republican candidates have both expressed hostility towards whistleblowers."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/2016/11/08/wikileaks-criticizes-both-hillary-clinton-and-donald-trump-condemns-mccarthyite-russia-accusations/|title=WikiLeaks criticizes both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, condemns "McCarthyite" Russia accusations|date=9 November 2018|work=Salon}}</ref> |
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It was revealed in October 2017 that during the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]], [[Cambridge Analytica]] funder and substantial Republican donor [[Rebekah Mercer]] had proposed creating a searchable database for Hillary Clinton emails in the public domain and then forwarded this suggestion to several people, including Cambridge Analytica CEO [[Alexander Nix]], who personally emailed a request to Assange for Clinton's emails.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/27/politics/rebekah-mercer-cambridge-analytica-clinton-emails/index.html|title=GOP megadonor requested Trump's data firm organize hacked Clinton emails|author=Dana Bash and Marshall Cohen|date=27 October 2017|publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-donor-asked-data-firm-if-it-could-better-organize-hacked-emails-1509133587|title=Trump Donor Asked Data Firm If It Could Better Organize Hacked Emails|author=Rebecca Ballhaus|date=27 October 2017|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> Assange responded to the report by saying he denied Nix's request.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/25/us/julian-assange-wikileaks-trump.html|title=Assange Says WikiLeaks Rejected Request by Data Firm Tied to Trump|last=Confessore|first=Nicholas|date=25 October 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> |
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[[File:Pool Safely 2015 Summer Kickoff (18140432356).jpg|thumb|[[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] resigned as DNC chairwoman following WikiLeaks releases suggesting [[Media coverage of Bernie Sanders|bias against Bernie Sanders]].|alt=Image of Debbie Wasserman Schultz speaking at Democratic national Convention]] |
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Documents obtained by CNN showed that, during the 2016 election in the United States, Assange met with dozens of people including employees of RT, for which Assange regularly produced media content, and two German hackers.<ref name=assangethrewup /> |
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On 22 July 2016, WikiLeaks released [[2016 Democratic National Committee email leak|emails and documents]] from the [[Democratic National Committee]] (DNC) showing that the DNC favoured Clinton’s campaign and tried to undercut [[Bernie Sanders]]. As a result the party chairwoman [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] resigned.<ref>{{cite news|first1= Theodore | last1= Schleifer | first2= Eugene | last2= Scott|title=DNC treatment of Sanders at issue in emails leaked to Wikileaks |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails/|access-date=24 July 2016|publisher= CNN|date=24 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Peters|first1= Maquita| title=Leaked Democratic Party Emails Show Members Tried To Undercut Sanders|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/23/487179496/leaked-democratic-party-emails-show-members-tried-to-undercut-sanders|publisher= NPR| access-date= 24 July 2016|date=23 July 2016}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' reported that Assange accused Clinton of pushing for his indictment and that he had timed the release to coincide with the [[2016 Democratic National Convention]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/us/politics/assange-timed-wikileaks-release-of-democratic-emails-to-harm-hillary-clinton.html |title = Assange, Avowed Foe of Clinton, Timed Email Release for Democratic Convention|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 26 July 2016|last1 = Savage|first1 = Charlie}}</ref> In an interview, Assange suggested that he saw Clinton as a personal foe.<ref name= compares>{{cite news | url= http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/1.733759 | title= Assange Warns More Leaks Coming, Compares Trump and Clinton to 'Cholera and Gonorrhea'| work= [[Haaretz]] | date= 27 July 2016|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.itv.com/news/update/2016-06-12/assange-on-peston-on-sunday-more-clinton-leaks-to-come/ |title=Assange on Peston on Sunday: 'More Clinton leaks to come' |work=[[ITV News]] |date=12 June 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> On 7 October, WikiLeaks released a second batch of documents with over 2,000 emails from Clinton campaign chairman [[John Podesta]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/press-release|title=WikiLeaks – The Podesta Emails|website=wikileaks.org|access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> |
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Cybersecurity experts attributed the attack to the Russian government.<ref name=Bloomberg25Jul2016/> The [[Central Intelligence Agency]], together with several other agencies, concluded that Russian intelligence agencies hacked the DNC servers, as well as Podesta's email account, and provided the information to WikiLeaks to bolster Trump's election campaign.<ref name=secretcia>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html|accessdate=10 December 2016|date=9 December 2016|title=Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House|first1=Adam |last1=Entous |first2=Ellen |last2=Nakashima |first3=Greg |last3=Miller|url-access=subscription }}</ref> As a result of [[Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)|Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation]] into [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]], 12 [[Main Intelligence Directorate|Russian GRU military intelligence]] agents were indicted on 13 July 2018 for the attack on the DNC mail-server. According to the [[Mueller report]], this group shared these mails using the pseudonym [[Guccifer 2.0]] with WikiLeaks and other entities.<ref>{{cite web|title=12 Russians indicted in Mueller investigation|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/13/politics/russia-investigation-indictments/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]]|date=14 July 2018|access-date=14 September 2019|author1= Katelyn Polantz|author2=Stephen Collinson}}</ref> The investigation also unearthed communications between Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, in which they coordinated the release of the material.<ref>{{cite web|title=Timeline: How Russian agents allegedly hacked the DNC and Clinton's campaign|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/13/timeline-how-russian-agents-allegedly-hacked-the-dnc-and-clintons-campaign |website=[[The Washington Post]]|date=13 July 2018|access-date=14 September 2018|last=Bump|first=Philip|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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===Seth Rich conspiracy theory=== |
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{{Main|Murder of Seth Rich}} |
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In a July 2016 interview, Assange implied that [[Murder of Seth Rich|Seth Rich]], a DNC staffer who was murdered by an unknown assailant earlier that year, was the source behind the DNC emails that WikiLeaks published and that Seth Rich was killed for doing so. WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward for information about Rich's murder. Assange spoke about sources bringing information to WikiLeaks in the context of Seth Rich, and stated that whistle-blowers are at risk. When an interviewer said that Rich died as a result of "just a robbery", Assange said "No. There's no finding".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/assange-talks-revealing-the-truth-through-wikileaks-ramos-neutrality-not-always-an-option-for-journalists|title=Assange talks 'revealing the truth' through WikiLeaks; Ramos: Neutrality not always an option for journalists|date=23 January 2017|publisher=Fox News Channel}}</ref><ref name="ConspiracyTheories2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/wikileaks-fuels-conspiracy-theories-about-dnc-staffer-s-death-n627401|title=WikiLeaks Fuels Conspiracy Theories About DNC Staffer's Death|last=Seitz-Wald|first=Alex|date=10 August 2016|publisher=NBC News|access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/cyberwar-9780190915810?cc=us&lang=en&|title=Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President What We Don't, Can't, and Do Know|last=Hall Jamiesson|first=Kathleen|date=3 October 2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780190915810|location=Oxford, New York|pages=25}}</ref><ref name=":0222">{{Cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2018/07/14/charges-undermine-assange-denials-about-hacked-email-origins|title=Charges undermine Assange denials about hacked email origins|date=14 July 2018|work=Boston Globe|access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref> Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report into Russian interference in the 2016 election said that Assange "implied falsely" that Rich was the source to obscure that Russia was the actual source.<ref name="NYT Seth Rich">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/20/us/mueller-report-seth-rich-assange.html|title=Seth Rich Was Not Source of Leaked D.N.C. Emails, Mueller Report Confirms|last=Mervosh|first=Sarah|date=20 April 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/a-monster-not-a-journalist-mueller-report-shows-assange-lied-about-russian-hacking-20190420-p51frc.html|title='A monster not a journalist': Mueller report shows Assange lied about Russian hacking|last=Knott|first=Matthew|date=19 April 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/jamie-dupree/mueller-wikileaks-used-dead-dnc-worker-bid-cover-russia-ties/SWSSsHGY7BJNc8pSrzZ9XJ/|title=Mueller: Wikileaks used dead DNC worker in bid to cover Russia ties|last=Jamie Dupree|first=Cox Washington Bureau|website=ajc|access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> |
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In interviews, Assange repeatedly denied that the Russian government was the source of the DNC and Podesta emails,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/julian-assange-russian-government-not-source-of-leaked-dnc-and-podesta-emails-wikileaks-editor-contradicts-cia-claims-in-new-interview-35300175.html|title=Julian Assange: Russian government not source of leaked DNC and Podesta emails – WikiLeaks editor contradicts CIA claims in new interview|work=The Belfast Telegraph|access-date=12 April 2019|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/12/15/wikileaks_julian_assange_russian_government_was_not_source_for_podesta_dnc_emails.html|title=WikiLeaks' Julian Assange: Russian Government Was Not Source For Podesta, DNC Emails|last1=15 December|first1=Tim Hains on Date|last2=2016|website=realclearpolitics.com|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="urge" /> and accused the Clinton campaign of "a kind of neo-McCarthy hysteria" about Russian involvement.<ref name=FoxNews26Aug2016/> On the eve of the election, Assange addressed the criticism he had received for publishing Clinton material, saying that WikiLeaks publishes "material given to us if it is of political, diplomatic, historical or ethical importance and which has not been published elsewhere," that it had never received any information on Trump, Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson's campaign.<ref name="smh-9Aug2018">{{cite news |title=Assange 'considering' testifying on Russian role in Trump vote |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/assange-considering-testifying-on-russian-role-in-trump-vote-20180809-p4zwcl.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=9 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Statement by Julian Assange on U.S. Presidential Election |url=https://www.newsweek.com/julian-assange-election-hacks-democratic-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-518469 |work=Newsweek |date=8 November 2016}}</ref> Political scientists Matthew Baum and Phil Gussin, wrote that WikiLeaks may have released more emails whenever Clinton's lead expanded in the polls.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/01/why-its-entirely-predictable-that-hillary-clintons-emails-are-back-in-the-news/|title=Why it's entirely predictable that Hillary Clinton's emails are back in the news|website=The Washington Post|access-date=12 November 2016|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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Assange's claims were highlighted by [[Fox News]], ''[[The Washington Times]]'' and conspiracy website ''[[InfoWars]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/1/17923178/washington-times-seth-rich-aaron-rich-trump-fox-news|title=A right-leaning newspaper is finally retracting the conspiracy theories it published about Seth Rich|date=1 October 2018|work=Vox}}</ref><ref name="ConspiracyTheories2"/> According to a study by Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris, and Hal Roberts of the [[Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society]] at Harvard University, Assange's claims set off a spike in attention to the Seth Rich murder. According to the scholars, Assange's claims lent credibility and visibility to what had at that point been a conspiracy theory in the fringe parts of the Internet.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/network-propaganda-9780190923631?cc=us&lang=en&|title=Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics|last=|first=|date=15 October 2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780190923631|location=Oxford, New York|pages=159–162}}</ref> According to the Associated Press, the July 2018 indictment of 12 Russian officers by Special Counsel Robert Mueller undermined the idea that Seth Rich was the source for the DNC emails.<ref name=":0222"/> Similarly, according to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Assange knew Seth Rich could not have been his source for the hacked emails, because the emails were transferred to him four days after Rich was murdered and he continued corresponding with the Russian hackers after Rich's death.<ref name="NYT Seth Rich" /> |
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In a July 2016 interview, Assange implied that DNC staffer [[Murder of Seth Rich|Seth Rich]] was the source of the DNC emails and that Rich had been killed as a result. WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward for information about his murder.<ref name="ConspiracyTheories2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/wikileaks-fuels-conspiracy-theories-about-dnc-staffer-s-death-n627401|title=WikiLeaks Fuels Conspiracy Theories About DNC Staffer's Death|last=Seitz-Wald|first=Alex|date=10 August 2016|publisher=NBC News|access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref> Assange's comments were highlighted by [[Fox News]], ''[[The Washington Times]]'' and conspiracy website ''[[InfoWars]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/1/17923178/washington-times-seth-rich-aaron-rich-trump-fox-news|title=A right-leaning newspaper is finally retracting the conspiracy theories it published about Seth Rich|date=1 October 2018|work=Vox}}</ref><ref name="ConspiracyTheories2"/> and set off a spike in attention to the murder.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/network-propaganda-9780190923631?cc=us&lang=en&|title=Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics|last=|first=|date=15 October 2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780190923631|location=Oxford, New York|pages=159–162}}</ref> Mueller's report said that Assange "implied falsely" that Rich was the source to obscure the fact that Russia was the source.<ref name="NYT Seth Rich">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/20/us/mueller-report-seth-rich-assange.html|title=Seth Rich Was Not Source of Leaked D.N.C. Emails, Mueller Report Confirms|last=Mervosh|first=Sarah|date=20 April 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=24 April 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/a-monster-not-a-journalist-mueller-report-shows-assange-lied-about-russian-hacking-20190420-p51frc.html|title='A monster not a journalist': Mueller report shows Assange lied about Russian hacking|last=Knott|first=Matthew|date=19 April 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/jamie-dupree/mueller-wikileaks-used-dead-dnc-worker-bid-cover-russia-ties/SWSSsHGY7BJNc8pSrzZ9XJ/|title=Mueller: Wikileaks used dead DNC worker in bid to cover Russia ties|last=Jamie Dupree|first=Cox Washington Bureau|website=ajc|access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> According to Mueller, Assange knew Rich could not have been the source, because the emails were transferred to him four days after Rich's death and he continued corresponding with the Russian hackers after his death.<ref name="NYT Seth Rich" /> |
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===Democratic National Committee leaks=== |
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{{Main|2016 Democratic National Committee email leak}} |
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{{See also|Democratic National Committee v. Russian Federation}} |
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[[File:Pool Safely 2015 Summer Kickoff (18140432356).jpg|thumb|[[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]] resigned as DNC chairwoman following WikiLeaks releases suggesting [[Media coverage of Bernie Sanders|bias against Bernie Sanders]].|alt=Image of Debbie Wasserman Schultz speaking at Democratic national Convention]] |
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On 22 July 2016, WikiLeaks released [[2016 Democratic National Committee email leak|emails and documents]] from the [[Democratic National Committee]] (DNC) seemingly showing that the DNC favoured Clinton’s campaign and tried to undercut [[Bernie Sanders]], leading to the resignation of party chairwoman [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]].<ref>{{cite news|first1= Theodore | last1= Schleifer | first2= Eugene | last2= Scott|title=DNC treatment of Sanders at issue in emails leaked to Wikileaks |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails/|access-date=24 July 2016|publisher= CNN|date=24 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Peters|first1= Maquita| title=Leaked Democratic Party Emails Show Members Tried To Undercut Sanders|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/23/487179496/leaked-democratic-party-emails-show-members-tried-to-undercut-sanders|publisher= NPR| access-date= 24 July 2016|date=23 July 2016}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that "Assange accused Mrs. Clinton of having been among those pushing to indict him{{nbsp}}..." and that he had timed the release to coincide with the [[2016 Democratic National Convention]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/us/politics/assange-timed-wikileaks-release-of-democratic-emails-to-harm-hillary-clinton.html |title = Assange, Avowed Foe of Clinton, Timed Email Release for Democratic Convention|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 26 July 2016|last1 = Savage|first1 = Charlie}}</ref> In an interview with [[Robert Peston]] of ''[[ITV News]],'' Assange suggested that he saw Hillary Clinton as a personal foe.<ref name= compares>{{cite news | url= http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/1.733759 | title= Assange Warns More Leaks Coming, Compares Trump and Clinton to 'Cholera and Gonorrhea'| work= [[Haaretz]] | date= 27 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.itv.com/news/update/2016-06-12/assange-on-peston-on-sunday-more-clinton-leaks-to-come/ |title=Assange on Peston on Sunday: 'More Clinton leaks to come' |work=[[ITV News]] |date=12 June 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> On 4 October 2016, in a WikiLeaks anniversary meeting in Berlin with Assange teleconferencing from his refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, reporters spoke of a supposed promise to reveal further information against Clinton which would bring her candidacy down, calling this information "The October Surprise".<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-11/how-julian-assange-turned-wikileaks-into-trump-s-best-friend |title=How Julian Assange turned WikiLeaks into Trump's best friend |first1=Max |last1=Chafkin |first2=Vernon |last2=Silver |date=10 October 2016 |work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |accessdate=27 October 2019}}</ref> On 7 October, Assange posted a press release on WikiLeaks exposing a second batch of emails with over 2,000 mails from Clinton campaign chairman [[John Podesta]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/press-release|title=WikiLeaks – The Podesta Emails|website=wikileaks.org|access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> |
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In April 2018, the DNC sued Assange, accusing [[WikiLeaks]] and Russian agents of a "brazen attack on American democracy".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-democrats-serve-australia-based-wikileaks-with-lawsuit-via-twitter-20180811-p4zww0.html|title=Democrats serve Australia-based WikiLeaks with lawsuit via Twitter|first=Anthony |last=Colangelo|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 August 2018|accessdate=18 December 2018}}</ref> The [[Committee to Protect Journalists]] said that the lawsuit raised several important press freedom questions.<ref name="CPJ">{{cite web|url=https://cpj.org/blog/2018/05/by-suing-wikileaks-dnc-could-endanger-principles-o.php|title=By suing WikiLeaks, DNC could endanger principles of press freedom|first=Avi|last=Asher-Schapiro|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists|date=29 May 2018|accessdate=18 December 2018}}</ref> The suit was dismissed [[Prejudice (legal term)#Civil law|with prejudice]] in July 2019. Judge [[John G. Koeltl|John Koeltl]] said that Assange and Wikileaks "did not participate in any wrongdoing in obtaining the materials in the first place" and were therefore within the law in publishing the information.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Re |first1=Gregg |title=Judge dismisses DNC lawsuit against Trump campaign, Russia, WikiLeaks over hacking |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-dismisses-dnc-lawsuit-against-trump-campaign-russia-wikileaks-over-hacking/ar-AAF5bE9?item=personalization_enabled%3afalse |work = [[MSN]]|accessdate=31 July 2019 |date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731052031/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-dismisses-dnc-lawsuit-against-trump-campaign-russia-wikileaks-over-hacking/ar-AAF5bE9%3Fitem%3Dpersonalization_enabled:false |archive-date=31 July 2019}}</ref> |
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Cybersecurity experts and firms attributed the cyberattack to the Russian government.<ref name=Bloomberg25Jul2016/> The [[Central Intelligence Agency]], together with several other agencies, concluded in a leaked secret report, that Russian intelligence agencies hacked the DNC servers, as well as the email account of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, and provided the stolen information to WikiLeaks to bolster Trump's chances of winning the presidency.<ref name=secretcia>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html|accessdate=10 December 2016|date=9 December 2016|title=Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House|first1=Adam |last1=Entous |first2=Ellen |last2=Nakashima |first3=Greg |last3=Miller }}</ref> As a result of the [[Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)|Special Counsel investigation]] into the [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]], 12 [[Main Intelligence Directorate|Russian GRU military intelligence]] agents were indicted on 13 July 2018 for being behind the attack on the DNC mail-server. According to the [[Mueller report|special counsel's findings]], this group shared these mails using the pseudonym [[Guccifer 2.0]] with WikiLeaks and other entities.<ref>{{cite web|title=12 Russians indicted in Mueller investigation|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/13/politics/russia-investigation-indictments/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]]|date=14 July 2018|access-date=14 September 2019|author1= Katelyn Polantz|author2=Stephen Collinson}}</ref> The investigation also unearthed direct message exchanges between Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, in which they coordinated the release of the shared material.<ref>{{cite web|title=Timeline: How Russian agents allegedly hacked the DNC and Clinton's campaign|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/13/timeline-how-russian-agents-allegedly-hacked-the-dnc-and-clintons-campaign |website=[[The Washington Post]]|date=13 July 2018|access-date=14 September 2018|last=Bump|first=Philip}}</ref> |
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==Later years in the embassy== |
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In interviews, Assange repeatedly denied that the Russian government was the source of the DNC and Podesta emails,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/julian-assange-russian-government-not-source-of-leaked-dnc-and-podesta-emails-wikileaks-editor-contradicts-cia-claims-in-new-interview-35300175.html|title=Julian Assange: Russian government not source of leaked DNC and Podesta emails – WikiLeaks editor contradicts CIA claims in new interview|work=The Belfast Telegraph|access-date=12 April 2019|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/12/15/wikileaks_julian_assange_russian_government_was_not_source_for_podesta_dnc_emails.html|title=WikiLeaks' Julian Assange: Russian Government Was Not Source For Podesta, DNC Emails|last1=15 December|first1=Tim Hains on Date|last2=2016|website=realclearpolitics.com|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="urge" /> and accused the Clinton campaign of "a kind of neo-McCarthy hysteria".<ref name=FoxNews26Aug2016/> On the eve of the general presidential election, Assange wrote a press release addressing the criticism around publishing Clinton material on WikiLeaks, saying that WikiLeaks publishes "material given to us if it is of political, diplomatic, historical or ethical importance and which has not been published elsewhere," that it had never received any information on Trump, Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson's campaign, and that therefore WikiLeaks could not publish what it did not have.<ref name="smh-9Aug2018">{{cite news |title=Assange 'considering' testifying on Russian role in Trump vote |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/assange-considering-testifying-on-russian-role-in-trump-vote-20180809-p4zwcl.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=9 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Statement by Julian Assange on U.S. Presidential Election |url=https://www.newsweek.com/julian-assange-election-hacks-democratic-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-518469 |work=Newsweek |date=8 November 2016}}</ref> |
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A 2017 article in ''[[Foreign Policy]]'' asserted that in mid-2016 WikiLeaks turned down leaks on the Russian government, focussing instead on hacks relating to the US presidential election.<ref name=ForeignPolicy>{{cite news |last1=MCLAUGHLIN |first1=JENNA |title=WikiLeaks Turned Down Leaks on Russian Government During U.S. Presidential Campaign |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/17/wikileaks-turned-down-leaks-on-russian-government-during-u-s-presidential-campaign/ |agency=FP |publisher=FP |date=17 August 2017|url-access=subscription}}</ref> This was disputed by Wikileaks which said that as far as it could recall the material was "already public".<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> The cache had previously been reported on by the BBC and other news outlets to reveal details about Russian military and intelligence involvement in Ukraine.<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> The ''Foreign Policy'' article also argued that Assange's position on Russia had evolved. Assange's relationship with Russia "started as adversarial" as in he had in October 2010 "teased a massive dump of documents that would expose wrongdoing in the Kremlin, teaming up with a Russian news site for the rollout".<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> However, Assange by 2012 had his own show on the RT network, and in 2016 he publicly criticised Novaya Gazeta's coverage of the [[Panama Papers]], suggesting that "reporters had 'cherry-picked' the documents to publish for optimal 'Putin bashing, North Korea bashing, sanctions bashing, etc.' while giving Western figures a pass".<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> Russian investigative reporter Roman Shleynov said in an interview with ''The New York Times'' that it was a surprise for him to hear that "Mr Assange was repeating the same excuse that our officials, even back in Soviet days, used to say – that it's all some conspiracy from abroad."<ref name=ForeignPolicy/> |
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In March 2017, Wikileaks began releasing the largest leak of CIA documents in history, codenamed [[Vault 7]]. The documents included details of the CIA's [[Cyberwarfare|hacking capabilities]] and software tools used to break into smartphones, computers and other Internet-connected devices.<ref name="nyt070317">{{cite news |last1=Shane |first1=Scott |last2=Rosenberg |first2=Matthew |last3=Lehren |first3=Andrew W. |title=WikiLeaks Releases Trove of Alleged C.I.A. Hacking Documents |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/world/europe/wikileaks-cia-hacking.html |accessdate=11 September 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=7 March 2017}}</ref> In April 2017, then [[CIA]] director [[Mike Pompeo]], in a speech to the [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]], called WikiLeaks "a [[Non-state actor|non-state]] hostile [[intelligence service]] often abetted by state actors like Russia".<ref>{{cite news |title=CIA chief calls WikiLeaks a 'hostile intelligence service' |author=Warren Strobel |author2=Mark Hosenball |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-wikileaks-idUSKBN17F2L8 |agency=Reuters |date=13 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=CIA chief calls WikiLeaks a 'hostile intelligence service' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-wikileaks-idUSKBN17F2L8 |agency=Reuters |date=13 April 2017}}</ref> Assange accused the CIA of trying to "subvert" his [[First Amendment rights]]. He said that "History shows the danger of allowing the CIA or any intelligence agency, whose very modus operandi includes misdirection and lying, to be the sole arbiter of what is true or what is prudent. Otherwise, every day might see a repeat of the many foolish CIA actions which have led to death, displacement, dictatorship and terrorism."<ref>{{cite news |title=Assange lashes out against CIA after Pompeo rips WikiLeaks |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/assange-lashes-out-against-cia-after-pompeo-rips-wikileaks |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=15 April 2017}}</ref> |
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According to Harvard political scientist Matthew Baum and [[College of the Canyons]] political scientist Phil Gussin, WikiLeaks strategically released emails related to the Clinton campaign whenever Clinton's lead expanded in the polls.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/01/why-its-entirely-predictable-that-hillary-clintons-emails-are-back-in-the-news/|title=Why it's entirely predictable that Hillary Clinton's emails are back in the news|website=The Washington Post|access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> |
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On 6 June 2017, Assange tweeted his support for NSA leaker [[Reality Winner]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-is-reality-winner-accused-leaker-wanted-to-resist-trump |first=Brooke |last=Singman |title=Who is Reality Winner? Accused leaker wanted to 'resist' Trump |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |date=6 June 2017 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> offering a $10,000 reward for information about a reporter for ''[[The Intercept]]'' who had allegedly helped the US government to identify Winner as the leaker.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Uchill |url=https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/336518-wikileaks-offering-10000-to-get-intercept-reporter-fired |title=WikiLeaks offers $10,000 to get Intercept reporter fired |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=6 June 2017 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> |
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===DNC lawsuit=== |
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Assange was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee in April 2018. The lawsuit alleged that [[WikiLeaks]] and Russian agents together engaged in a "brazen attack on American democracy" about the hacking and publication of its emails in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-democrats-serve-australia-based-wikileaks-with-lawsuit-via-twitter-20180811-p4zww0.html|title=Democrats serve Australia-based WikiLeaks with lawsuit via Twitter|first=Anthony |last=Colangelo|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 August 2018|accessdate=18 December 2018}}</ref> The [[Committee to Protect Journalists]] (CPJ) said that the lawsuit "raises several important press freedom questions" including the determination of what activities should "implicate a journalist in a source's illegal behaviour."<ref name="CPJ">{{cite web|url=https://cpj.org/blog/2018/05/by-suing-wikileaks-dnc-could-endanger-principles-o.php|title=By suing WikiLeaks, DNC could endanger principles of press freedom|first=Avi|last=Asher-Schapiro|publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists|date=29 May 2018|accessdate=18 December 2018}}</ref> The organisation cited several First Amendment experts who opined that the lawsuit, if successful, might undermine the Supreme Court's precedents that publishers of information "are not responsible for the illegal acts of their sources," such as ''[[Bartnicki v. Vopper]]''.<ref name="CPJ"/> The suit was dismissed [[Prejudice (legal term)#Civil law|with prejudice]] in July 2019. In his judgement, Judge [[John G. Koeltl|John Koeltl]] said that the defendants including Assange and Wikileaks "did not participate in any wrongdoing in obtaining the materials in the first place" and were therefore within the law in publishing the information. He also said that the DNC case was "entirely divorced" from the facts. The suit could not be refiled due to its "substantive legal defect".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Re |first1=Gregg |title=Judge dismisses DNC lawsuit against Trump campaign, Russia, WikiLeaks over hacking |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-dismisses-dnc-lawsuit-against-trump-campaign-russia-wikileaks-over-hacking/ar-AAF5bE9?item=personalization_enabled%3afalse |work = [[MSN]]|accessdate=31 July 2019 |date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731052031/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-dismisses-dnc-lawsuit-against-trump-campaign-russia-wikileaks-over-hacking/ar-AAF5bE9%3Fitem%3Dpersonalization_enabled:false |archive-date=31 July 2019}}</ref> |
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In August 2017, in the midst of the [[2017–19 Qatar diplomatic crisis|Qatar diplomatic crisis]], Saudi-owned newspaper ''[[Al Arabiya]]'', based in [[Dubai]], said that Assange "has seven cables about [[Qatar]] and only five were published" after Qatar negotiated with WikiLeaks. Assange responded that "The Al Arabiya network (HQ in UAE) has been publishing increasingly absurd fabrications as the UAE v Qatar dispute continues."<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikileaks founder Assange slams Al Arabiya report against Qatar as 'absurd fabrication' |url=https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/22/08/2017/Wikileaks-founder-Assange-slams-Al-Arabiya-report-against-Qatar-as-%E2%80%98absurd-fabrication%E2%80%99 |work=[[The Peninsula (newspaper)|The Peninsula]] |date=22 August 2017}}</ref> |
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==Later years in the embassy== |
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On 6 June 2017, Assange tweeted his support for NSA leaker [[Reality Winner]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-is-reality-winner-accused-leaker-wanted-to-resist-trump |first=Brooke |last=Singman |title=Who is Reality Winner? Accused leaker wanted to 'resist' Trump |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |date=6 June 2017 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> offering a $10,000 reward for information about a reporter for ''[[The Intercept]]'' who had allegedly helped the US government to identify Winner as the leaker.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Uchill |url=https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/336518-wikileaks-offering-10000-to-get-intercept-reporter-fired |title=WikiLeaks offers $10,000 to get Intercept reporter fired |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=6 June 2017 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> Assange posted on Twitter: "Reality Leight [sic] Winner is no [[James Clapper|Clapper]] or [[David Petraeus|Petraeus]] with 'elite immunity'. She's a young woman against the wall for talking to the press."<ref>{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks founder supporting NSA leak suspect in Georgia |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/wikileaks-founder-supporting-nsa-leak-suspect-georgia/JzW1bwJRkfrHjVwUoPgfRJ/ |first=Jeremy |last=Redmon |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=9 June 2017}}</ref> |
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In September 2017, Assange released "Spy Files Russia," revealing "how a [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]]-based technology company called [[Peter-Service]] helped [[Government of Russia|Russian state entities]] gather detailed data on Russian cellphone users, part of a national system of online surveillance called System for Operative Investigative Activities ([[SORM]])." According to Moscow based journalist [[Fred Weir]], "experts say it casts a timely spotlight on the vast surveillance operations mounted by Russian security services."<ref>{{cite news |title=Is it the Kremlin's turn to get WikiLeaked? |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2017/0921/Is-it-the-Kremlin-s-turn-to-get-WikiLeaked |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=21 September 2017}}</ref> The unexpected release of the material during the height of the Special Counsel investigation into the relationship between Wikileaks and Russia has drawn some criticism for not revealing anything groundbreaking and therefore looking more like an "approved release direct from the Russian government" as an attempt to detract from the investigation.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Fishy Wikileaks Dump Targets Russia For a Change|url=https://www.wired.com/story/wikileaks-spy-files-russia/ |journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=20 September 2017|access-date=14 September 2019|last=Newman|first=Lily Hay}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WikiLeaks releases files that appear to offer details of Russian surveillance system|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/19/wikileaks-releases-files-that-appear-to-offer-details-of-russian-surveillance-system/ |website=[[The Washington Post]]|date=19 September 2017|access-date=14 September 2019|last=Taylor|first=Adam|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |
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In January 2020, the Catalan Dignity Commission awarded Assange its 2019 Dignity Prize for what it described as Assange's role in supporting the Catalan people during the [[2017 Catalan independence referendum]].<ref name = "news100120">{{cite news |last1=O'Brien |first1=Natalie |title=Wikileaks founder Julian Assange awarded Dignity Prize from Catalans |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-awarded-dignity-prize-from-catalans/news-story/207b2f05fbff34175570411b349c9a93 |accessdate=7 February 2020 |publisher=News Corp |date=10 January 2020}}</ref> Assange's statements during the referendum led to objections from the Spanish government, and according to ''The Guardian'' increased tension between Assange and the Ecuadorian government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kirchgaessner |first1=Stephanie |last2=Jones |first2=Sam |last3=Collyns |first3=Dan |title=Assange 'split' Ecuador and Spain over Catalan independence |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/16/julian-assange-ecuador-spain-catalan-independence-meeting-separatists |accessdate=7 February 2020 |publisher=The Guardian |date=17 May 2018}}</ref><ref name = "news100120"/> |
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Special counsel [[Robert Mueller]]'s team had been investigating a meeting between former Trump campaign chairman [[Paul Manafort]] and President Lenín Moreno in Quito in 2017. Moreno talked with Manafort about removing Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and his extradition to the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=Paul Manafort reportedly tried to make a deal with Ecuador to hand over Julian Assange |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/manafort-tried-to-make-deal-with-ecuador-on-wikileaks-assange-report.html |first=Nyshka |last=Chandran |publisher=CNBC |date=3 December 2018 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> |
Special counsel [[Robert Mueller]]'s team had been investigating a meeting between former Trump campaign chairman [[Paul Manafort]] and President Lenín Moreno in Quito in 2017. Moreno talked with Manafort about removing Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and his extradition to the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=Paul Manafort reportedly tried to make a deal with Ecuador to hand over Julian Assange |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/manafort-tried-to-make-deal-with-ecuador-on-wikileaks-assange-report.html |first=Nyshka |last=Chandran |publisher=CNBC |date=3 December 2018 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> |
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In September 2017, Assange released "Spy Files Russia," revealing "how a [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]]-based technology company called [[Peter-Service]] helped [[Government of Russia|Russian state entities]] gather detailed data on Russian cellphone users, part of a national system of online surveillance called System for Operative Investigative Activities ([[SORM]])." According to Moscow based journalist [[Fred Weir]], "experts say it casts a timely spotlight on the vast surveillance operations mounted by Russian security services."<ref>{{cite news |title=Is it the Kremlin's turn to get WikiLeaked? |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2017/0921/Is-it-the-Kremlin-s-turn-to-get-WikiLeaked |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=21 September 2017}}</ref> The unexpected release of the material during the height of the Special Counsel investigation into the relationship between Wikileaks and Russia has drawn some criticism for not revealing anything groundbreaking and therefore looking more like an "approved release direct from the Russian government" as an attempt to detract from the investigation.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Fishy Wikileaks Dump Targets Russia For a Change|url=https://www.wired.com/story/wikileaks-spy-files-russia/ |journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=20 September 2017|access-date=14 September 2019|last=Newman|first=Lily Hay}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WikiLeaks releases files that appear to offer details of Russian surveillance system|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/19/wikileaks-releases-files-that-appear-to-offer-details-of-russian-surveillance-system/ |website=[[The Washington Post]]|date=19 September 2017|access-date=14 September 2019|last=Taylor|first=Adam}}</ref> |
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On 28 March 2018, Ecuador cut Assange's Internet connection at its London embassy "to prevent any potential harm". Officials said that Assange's recent social media posts denouncing the arrest of [[Catalan independence movement|Catalonian separatist]] leader [[Carles Puigdemont]] "put at risk" Ecuador's relations with European nations. Assange then went silent on social media.<ref>{{cite news |date=28 March 2018 |title=Ecuador cuts WikiLeaks founder Assange's internet at embassy|url=https://apnews.com/aab0a5a4592746b397cd925d96b4329d |agency=[[Associated Press]] |first=Gonzalo |last=Solano |access-date=28 March 2018 }}</ref> |
On 28 March 2018, Ecuador cut Assange's Internet connection at its London embassy "to prevent any potential harm". Officials said that Assange's recent social media posts denouncing the arrest of [[Catalan independence movement|Catalonian separatist]] leader [[Carles Puigdemont]] "put at risk" Ecuador's relations with European nations. Assange then went silent on social media.<ref>{{cite news |date=28 March 2018 |title=Ecuador cuts WikiLeaks founder Assange's internet at embassy|url=https://apnews.com/aab0a5a4592746b397cd925d96b4329d |agency=[[Associated Press]] |first=Gonzalo |last=Solano |access-date=28 March 2018 }}</ref> |
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In February 2019, the parliament of Geneva passed a motion demanding that the Swiss government extend asylum to Assange. The move was proposed by the [[Swiss People's Party]] and supported by the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wikileaks_geneva-politicians-vote-to-propose-julian-assange-asylum/44740406|title=Geneva politicians vote to propose Julian Assange asylum|agency=Associated Press|date=7 February 2019|accessdate=13 February 2019}}</ref> In the same month, it was revealed that Assange was issued with a new Australian passport in September 2018. His previous passport had expired several years ago.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Baker |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/julian-assange-gets-a-new-australian-passport-20190221-p50zek.html|title=Julian Assange gets a new Australian passport|work=The Age|date=21 February 2019|accessdate=23 February 2019}}</ref> |
In February 2019, the parliament of Geneva passed a motion demanding that the Swiss government extend asylum to Assange. The move was proposed by the [[Swiss People's Party]] and supported by the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wikileaks_geneva-politicians-vote-to-propose-julian-assange-asylum/44740406|title=Geneva politicians vote to propose Julian Assange asylum|agency=Associated Press|date=7 February 2019|accessdate=13 February 2019}}</ref> In the same month, it was revealed that Assange was issued with a new Australian passport in September 2018. His previous passport had expired several years ago.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Baker |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/julian-assange-gets-a-new-australian-passport-20190221-p50zek.html|title=Julian Assange gets a new Australian passport|work=The Age|date=21 February 2019|accessdate=23 February 2019}}</ref> |
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In January 2020, the Catalan Dignity Commission awarded Assange its 2019 Dignity Prize for what it described as Assange's role in supporting the Catalan people during the [[2017 Catalan independence referendum]].<ref name = "news100120">{{cite news |last1=O'Brien |first1=Natalie |title=Wikileaks founder Julian Assange awarded Dignity Prize from Catalans |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-awarded-dignity-prize-from-catalans/news-story/207b2f05fbff34175570411b349c9a93 |accessdate=7 February 2020 |publisher=News Corp |date=10 January 2020}}</ref> Assange's statements during the referendum led to objections from the Spanish government, and according to ''The Guardian'' increased tension between Assange and the Ecuadorian government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kirchgaessner |first1=Stephanie |last2=Jones |first2=Sam |last3=Collyns |first3=Dan |title=Assange 'split' Ecuador and Spain over Catalan independence |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/16/julian-assange-ecuador-spain-catalan-independence-meeting-separatists |accessdate=7 February 2020 |publisher=The Guardian |date=17 May 2018}}</ref><ref name = "news100120"/> |
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In 2015, ''[[La Repubblica]]'' lodged Freedom of Information requests in Australia, England, the United States and Sweden, seeking information about Assange. It said it was trying to discover whether US authorities told their UK counterparts in 2010 that they intended to extradite Assange and also whether the Swedish investigation was used as a way of trying to extradite him to the US. ''La Repubblica'' said that its FOI requests had been hindered and delayed in all jurisdictions. However, it said it was able to obtain evidence of the UK's role via the English Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in creating the "legal and diplomatic quagmire" which prevented Assange from leaving the Ecuadorian embassy. ''La Repubblica'' sued the CPS in 2017 to obtain further information but its case was rejected with the judge saying "the need for the British authorities to protect the confidentiality of the extradition process outweighs the public interest of the press to know".<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Maurizi |first1=Stefania |title=WikiLeaks, London court to decide on Assange documentation access |url=https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2019/06/29/news/wikileaks_london_court_to_decide_on_assange_documentation_access-229911906/ |accessdate=20 September 2019 |work=la Repubblica |date=29 June 2019}}</ref> A further appeal was rejected in September 2019.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Maurizi |first1=Stefania |title=The London Upper Tribunal rejects La Repubblica's appeal on the Assange documents |url=https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2019/09/14/news/assange_documents_appeal-235968336/ |accessdate=20 September 2019 |work=la Repubblica |date=14 September 2019}}</ref> |
In 2015, ''[[La Repubblica]]'' lodged Freedom of Information requests in Australia, England, the United States and Sweden, seeking information about Assange. It said it was trying to discover whether US authorities told their UK counterparts in 2010 that they intended to extradite Assange and also whether the Swedish investigation was used as a way of trying to extradite him to the US. ''La Repubblica'' said that its FOI requests had been hindered and delayed in all jurisdictions. However, it said it was able to obtain evidence of the UK's role via the English Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in creating the "legal and diplomatic quagmire" which prevented Assange from leaving the Ecuadorian embassy. ''La Repubblica'' sued the CPS in 2017 to obtain further information but its case was rejected with the judge saying "the need for the British authorities to protect the confidentiality of the extradition process outweighs the public interest of the press to know".<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Maurizi |first1=Stefania |title=WikiLeaks, London court to decide on Assange documentation access |url=https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2019/06/29/news/wikileaks_london_court_to_decide_on_assange_documentation_access-229911906/ |accessdate=20 September 2019 |work=la Repubblica |date=29 June 2019}}</ref> A further appeal was rejected in September 2019.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Maurizi |first1=Stefania |title=The London Upper Tribunal rejects La Repubblica's appeal on the Assange documents |url=https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2019/09/14/news/assange_documents_appeal-235968336/ |accessdate=20 September 2019 |work=la Repubblica |date=14 September 2019}}</ref> |
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===International courts and the United Nations=== |
===International courts and the United Nations=== |
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The Ecuadorian government of [[Rafael Correa]] requested an [[advisory opinion]] from the [[Inter-American Court of Human Rights]] on the issue of "the Institution of Asylum and its Recognition as a Human Right in the Inter-American System," and the court issued its advisory opinion in May 2018, upholding the principle of [[non-refoulement]], which prohibits signatories of the [[American Convention on Human Rights]] from deporting foreign individuals when such a deportation would likely lead to their persecution.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/comunicados/cp_28_18_eng.pdf|title=A on the institution of asylum and its recognition as a human right in the inter-american system of protection|publisher=Inter-American Court of Human Rights|date=12 July 2018 |
The Ecuadorian government of [[Rafael Correa]] requested an [[advisory opinion]] from the [[Inter-American Court of Human Rights]] on the issue of "the Institution of Asylum and its Recognition as a Human Right in the Inter-American System," and the court issued its advisory opinion in May 2018, upholding the principle of [[non-refoulement]], which prohibits signatories of the [[American Convention on Human Rights]] from deporting foreign individuals when such a deportation would likely lead to their persecution.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/comunicados/cp_28_18_eng.pdf|title=A on the institution of asylum and its recognition as a human right in the inter-american system of protection|publisher=Inter-American Court of Human Rights|date=12 July 2018}}</ref> |
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On 5 February 2016, the UN's [[Working Group on Arbitrary Detention]] concluded that Assange had been subject to [[arbitrary detention]] by the UK and Swedish Governments since 7 December 2010, including his time in prison, on conditional bail and in the Ecuadorian embassy. According to the group, Assange should be allowed to walk free and be given compensation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/britain-sweden-should-accept-ruling-on-julian-assange-un-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-2618960.html |title=Britain, Sweden should accept ruling on Julian Assange: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights |work=[[Firstpost]] |location=India |date=6 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17012&LangID=E |title=The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Deems the deprivation of liberty of Mr Julian Assange as arbitrary |work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] (OHCHR) |date=5 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> The UK and Swedish governments rejected the claim.<ref>{{cite news |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205093547/https://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/02/05/assange-warrant-still-active--uk-police.html |archivedate=5 February 2016 |url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/02/05/assange-warrant-still-active--uk-police.html |work=Sky News Australia |title=UK, Sweden reject UN ruling on Assange |date=5 February 2016}}</ref> UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, [[Philip Hammond]], said the claim was "ridiculous" and that the group was "made up of lay people", and called Assange a "[[fugitive from justice]]" who "can come out any time he chooses".<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ecuador-sweden-assange-hammond-idUKKCN0VE120 | title=Hammond calls U.N. Assange report 'ridiculous'| agency=Reuters| date=5 February 2016}}</ref> UK and Swedish prosecutors called the group's claims irrelevant.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/svenska-aklagarna-fn-gruppens-rapport-betydelselos |title=Svenska åklagarna: FN-gruppens rapport betydelselös |work=[[svt.se]] |language=se |date=5 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2016/feb/05/philip-hammond-rejects-ridiculous-un-decision-julian-assange-video |title = Philip Hammond rejects 'ridiculous' UN decision on Assange – video|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 5 February 2016}}</ref> The UK said it would arrest Assange should he leave the |
On 5 February 2016, the UN's [[Working Group on Arbitrary Detention]] concluded that Assange had been subject to [[arbitrary detention]] by the UK and Swedish Governments since 7 December 2010, including his time in prison, on conditional bail and in the Ecuadorian embassy. According to the group, Assange should be allowed to walk free and be given compensation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/britain-sweden-should-accept-ruling-on-julian-assange-un-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-2618960.html |title=Britain, Sweden should accept ruling on Julian Assange: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights |work=[[Firstpost]] |location=India |date=6 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17012&LangID=E |title=The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Deems the deprivation of liberty of Mr Julian Assange as arbitrary |work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] (OHCHR) |date=5 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> The UK and Swedish governments rejected the claim.<ref>{{cite news |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205093547/https://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/02/05/assange-warrant-still-active--uk-police.html |archivedate=5 February 2016 |url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/02/05/assange-warrant-still-active--uk-police.html |work=Sky News Australia |title=UK, Sweden reject UN ruling on Assange |date=5 February 2016}}</ref> UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, [[Philip Hammond]], said the claim was "ridiculous" and that the group was "made up of lay people", and called Assange a "[[fugitive from justice]]" who "can come out any time he chooses".<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ecuador-sweden-assange-hammond-idUKKCN0VE120 | title=Hammond calls U.N. Assange report 'ridiculous'| agency=Reuters| date=5 February 2016}}</ref> UK and Swedish prosecutors called the group's claims irrelevant.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/svenska-aklagarna-fn-gruppens-rapport-betydelselos |title=Svenska åklagarna: FN-gruppens rapport betydelselös |work=[[svt.se]] |language=se |date=5 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2016/feb/05/philip-hammond-rejects-ridiculous-un-decision-julian-assange-video |title = Philip Hammond rejects 'ridiculous' UN decision on Assange – video|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 5 February 2016}}</ref> The UK said it would arrest Assange should he leave the embassy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/reports-a-un-panel-votes-in-favor-of-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange/2016/02/04/578e052e-cb2a-11e5-a7b2-5a2f824b02c9_story.html |work=The Washington Post |title=Britain: WikiLeaks founder faces arrest regardless of U.N. panel ruling |date=4 February 2016|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Mark Ellis, executive director of the [[International Bar Association]], stated that the finding is "not binding on British law".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/04/what-happen-julian-assange-detention-ruling-officially-announced |first=Owen |last=Bowcott |title=Julian Assange Q&A: What now for the WikiLeaks founder? |newspaper=The Guardian |date=5 February 2016 |accessdate=27 October 2019 }}</ref> Noah Feldman, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, described the UN Working Group's conclusion as astonishing, summarising the conclusion as "Assange might be charged with a crime in the US. Ecuador thinks charging him with violating national security law would amount to 'political persecution' or worse. Therefore Sweden must give up on its claims to try him for rape, and Britain must ignore the Swedes' arrest warrant and let him leave the country."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/opinion/what-is-arbitrary-about-assanges-detention-20160206-gmnc8f.html|title=The curious case of Julian Assange and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention|last=Feldman|first=Noah|date=7 February 2016|website=The Age|access-date=19 December 2019}}</ref> |
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The Working Group again urged the UK to let Assange leave the |
The Working Group again urged the UK to let Assange leave the embassy freely. In a statement on 21 December 2018, the organisation said that the "Swedish investigations have been closed for over 18 months now, and the only ground remaining for Mr Assange's continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offence that cannot post-facto justify the more than six years' confinement that he has been subjected to".<ref>{{cite web |title=UN experts urge the UK to honour rights obligations and let Mr Julian Assange leave Ecuador embassy in London freely |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24042&LangID=E |website=United Nations Human Rights. Office of the High Commissioner |accessdate=22 December 2018}}</ref> |
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In 2019, Assange submitted a complaint to the [[Inter-American Commission on Human Rights]] and accused the Ecuadorian embassy of monitoring his daily activities and restricting his visitors. |
In 2019, Assange submitted a complaint to the [[Inter-American Commission on Human Rights]] and accused the Ecuadorian embassy of monitoring his daily activities and restricting his visitors. The complaint requested the Ecuadorian government to "ease the conditions that it had imposed on his residence" at the embassy. Furthermore, the complaint urged the commission to forbid the embassy from extraditing him to the US. Eventually, the commission rejected his complaint.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-wikileaks-assange/human-rights-agency-rejects-assange-complaint-against-ecuador-idUSKCN1QW02T |title = Human rights agency rejects Assange complaint against Ecuador|agency = Reuters|date = 15 March 2019}}</ref> |
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==Arrest in the embassy== |
==Arrest in the embassy== |
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On 2 April 2019, Ecuador's president [[Lenín Moreno]] stated that Assange had violated the terms of his asylum, after photos surfaced on the internet linking Moreno to a corruption scandal.<ref name="r040619">{{cite news |title=Ecuador's president says Assange breached terms of London embassy asylum |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-wikileaks-assange/ecuadors-president-says-assange-breached-terms-of-london-embassy-asylum-idUSKCN1RE1TL |accessdate=6 April 2019 |agency=Reuters |date=6 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="f040619">{{cite news |title=Ecuador president blames WikiLeaks for leak of private data |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/ecuador-president-blames-wikileaks-for-leak-of-private-data |accessdate=6 April 2019 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=3 April 2019}}</ref> WikiLeaks denied that it had acquired any of the published material, and stated that it merely reported on a corruption investigation against Moreno by Ecuador's legislature.<ref name="f040619" /> WikiLeaks subsequently wrote on Twitter that according to a source within the Ecuadorian government, an agreement had been reached to expel Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy and place him in the custody of UK police.<ref name="orozco">{{cite news |last1=Orozco |first1=Jose |last2=Penny |first2=Thomas |last3=Biggs |first3=Stuart |title=Ecuador to Expel Assange Within 'Hours to Days,' WikiLeaks Says |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-05/ecuador-to-expel-assange-within-hours-to-days-wikileaks-says |accessdate=6 April 2019 |publisher=Bloomberg}}</ref><ref name="grierson">{{cite news |last1=Grierson |first1=Jamie |title=Why is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador's embassy? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/05/why-is-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-in-london-ecuadorian-embassy |accessdate=6 April 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=5 April 2019}}</ref> The source stated that the expulsion from the embassy would occur in retaliation against WikiLeaks' tweet noting corruption charges against Moreno.<ref name="orozco" /> On 5 April, Ecuador's Foreign Ministry denied the existence of any planned expulsion.<ref name="orozco" /><ref name="grierson" /> |
On 2 April 2019, Ecuador's president [[Lenín Moreno]] stated that Assange had violated the terms of his asylum, after photos surfaced on the internet linking Moreno to a corruption scandal.<ref name="r040619">{{cite news |title=Ecuador's president says Assange breached terms of London embassy asylum |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-wikileaks-assange/ecuadors-president-says-assange-breached-terms-of-london-embassy-asylum-idUSKCN1RE1TL |accessdate=6 April 2019 |agency=Reuters |date=6 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="f040619">{{cite news |title=Ecuador president blames WikiLeaks for leak of private data |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/ecuador-president-blames-wikileaks-for-leak-of-private-data |accessdate=6 April 2019 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=3 April 2019}}</ref> WikiLeaks denied that it had acquired any of the published material, and stated that it merely reported on a corruption investigation against Moreno by Ecuador's legislature.<ref name="f040619" /> WikiLeaks subsequently wrote on Twitter that according to a source within the Ecuadorian government, an agreement had been reached to expel Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy and place him in the custody of UK police.<ref name="orozco">{{cite news |last1=Orozco |first1=Jose |last2=Penny |first2=Thomas |last3=Biggs |first3=Stuart |title=Ecuador to Expel Assange Within 'Hours to Days,' WikiLeaks Says |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-05/ecuador-to-expel-assange-within-hours-to-days-wikileaks-says |accessdate=6 April 2019 |publisher=Bloomberg|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="grierson">{{cite news |last1=Grierson |first1=Jamie |title=Why is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador's embassy? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/05/why-is-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-in-london-ecuadorian-embassy |accessdate=6 April 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=5 April 2019}}</ref> The source stated that the expulsion from the embassy would occur in retaliation against WikiLeaks' tweet noting corruption charges against Moreno.<ref name="orozco" /> On 5 April, Ecuador's Foreign Ministry denied the existence of any planned expulsion.<ref name="orozco" /><ref name="grierson" /> According to critics of Moreno, such as former Ecuadorian foreign minister [[Guillaume Long]], the revoking of Assange's asylum was connected to an upcoming decision by the [[International Monetary Fund]] to grant Ecuador a $4.2 billion loan.<ref name="itt140519">{{cite web |last1=Gibbons |first1=Chip |title=The Crackdown on Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange Is About Protecting U.S. Empire |url=https://inthesetimes.com/article/chelsea-manning-julian-assange-war-crimes-wikileaks-press-freedoms |website=In These Times |accessdate=2 September 2020 |language=en |date=14 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Booth |first1=William |last2=Adam |first2=Karla |title=WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks prison for jumping bail |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/wikileaks-julian-assange-sentenced-to-50-weeks-prison-in-bail-jumping-case/2019/05/01/d83c0190-6b6c-11e9-bbe7-1c798fb80536_story.html |accessdate=2 September 2020 |work=Washington Post|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuadorian President's Motives for Surrendering Assange: Vengeance & IMF Loan? |url=https://therealnews.com/stories/ecuadorian-presidents-motives-for-surrendering-assange-vengeance-imf-loan |accessdate=2 September 2020 |work=The Real News Network |date=12 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rogatyuk |first1=Denis |title=How Ecuador’s President Gave Up Assange |url=https://consortiumnews.com/2019/04/17/how-ecuadors-president-gave-up-assange/ |accessdate=2 September 2020 |work=Consortiumnews |date=17 April 2019}}</ref> |
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On 11 April 2019, the [[Metropolitan Police]] were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy and arrested Assange in connection with his failure to surrender to the court in June 2012 for extradition to Sweden.<ref name="cnnarr">{{Cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/uk/live-news/julian-assange-arrest-dle-gbr-intl/index.html |title=Julian Assange arrested in London: Live updates |publisher=CNN |date=11 April 2019 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno stated that Ecuador withdrew Assange's asylum after he repeatedly violated international conventions regarding domestic interference.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47891737 |title=Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange arrested |date=11 April 2019 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador's president alleges Assange used London embassy as a 'center for spying' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/04/15/ecuadors-president-alleges-assange-used-london-embassy-center-spying/ |first=Kayla |last=Epstein |accessdate=16 April 2019 |work=The Washington Post |date=15 April 2019}}</ref> Moreno referred to Assange as a "spoiled brat" and "miserable hacker".<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Ecuador evicted 'spoiled brat' Assange from embassy |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/why-ecuador-ended-asylum-spoiled-brat-julian-assange-n993711 |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=12 April 2019 }}</ref> British foreign secretary [[Jeremy Hunt]] thanked the Ecuadorean president, [[Lenin Moreno]], for co-operation, and the British prime minister, [[Theresa May]], said that "no one is above the law".<ref name="assangereactions"/> The Australian prime minister, [[Scott Morrison]], said that Assange is "not going to be given special treatment{{nbsp}}... It has got nothing to do with [Australia], it is a matter for the US".<ref>{{cite news |title=PM says no special treatment for Assange as his legal team vows to fight extradition |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/pm-says-no-special-treatment-for-assange-as-his-legal-team-vows-to-fight-extradition |work=SBS News |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> |
On 11 April 2019, the [[Metropolitan Police]] were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy and arrested Assange in connection with his failure to surrender to the court in June 2012 for extradition to Sweden.<ref name="cnnarr">{{Cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/uk/live-news/julian-assange-arrest-dle-gbr-intl/index.html |title=Julian Assange arrested in London: Live updates |publisher=CNN |date=11 April 2019 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno stated that Ecuador withdrew Assange's asylum after he repeatedly violated international conventions regarding domestic interference.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47891737 |title=Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange arrested |date=11 April 2019 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador's president alleges Assange used London embassy as a 'center for spying' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/04/15/ecuadors-president-alleges-assange-used-london-embassy-center-spying/ |first=Kayla |last=Epstein |accessdate=16 April 2019 |work=The Washington Post |date=15 April 2019|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Moreno referred to Assange as a "spoiled brat" and "miserable hacker".<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Ecuador evicted 'spoiled brat' Assange from embassy |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/why-ecuador-ended-asylum-spoiled-brat-julian-assange-n993711 |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=12 April 2019 }}</ref> British foreign secretary [[Jeremy Hunt]] thanked the Ecuadorean president, [[Lenin Moreno]], for co-operation, and the then British prime minister, [[Theresa May]], said that "no one is above the law".<ref name="assangereactions">{{cite news |title=Julian Assange's arrest draws fierce international reaction |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/wikileaks-julian-assange-arrest-international-reaction |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> The Australian prime minister, [[Scott Morrison]], said that Assange is "not going to be given special treatment{{nbsp}}... It has got nothing to do with [Australia], it is a matter for the US".<ref>{{cite news |title=PM says no special treatment for Assange as his legal team vows to fight extradition |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/pm-says-no-special-treatment-for-assange-as-his-legal-team-vows-to-fight-extradition |work=SBS News |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> |
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On the afternoon of the day of his arrest, Assange was charged with breaching the Bail Act 1976 and was found guilty after a short hearing at [[Westminster Magistrates' Court]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/live/2019/apr/11/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-at-the-ecuadorean-embassy-live-updates?page=with%3Ablock-5caf469e8f0852bbb93b630a|title=Julian Assange: US justice department says he faces five years in jail – live updates|last1=Perraudin |first1=Frances |date=11 April 2019 |work=The Guardian |access-date=11 April 2019|last2=Weaver |first2=Matthew |issn=0261-3077|last3=Collyns |first3=Dan |last4=Cain |first4=Sian |last5=Borger |first5=Julian }}</ref> Judge Michael Snow said Assange was "a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interest" and he had "not come close to establishing reasonable excuse".<ref>{{cite news |title=Out of the embassy, straight into custody: Assange's court hearing |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1RN2JB |agency=Reuters |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> |
On the afternoon of the day of his arrest, Assange was charged with breaching the Bail Act 1976 and was found guilty after a short hearing at [[Westminster Magistrates' Court]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/live/2019/apr/11/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-at-the-ecuadorean-embassy-live-updates?page=with%3Ablock-5caf469e8f0852bbb93b630a|title=Julian Assange: US justice department says he faces five years in jail – live updates|last1=Perraudin |first1=Frances |date=11 April 2019 |work=The Guardian |access-date=11 April 2019|last2=Weaver |first2=Matthew |issn=0261-3077|last3=Collyns |first3=Dan |last4=Cain |first4=Sian |last5=Borger |first5=Julian }}</ref> Judge Michael Snow said Assange was "a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interest" and he had "not come close to establishing reasonable excuse".<ref>{{cite news |title=Out of the embassy, straight into custody: Assange's court hearing |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1RN2JB |agency=Reuters |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> |
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{{Main|Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange}} |
{{Main|Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange}} |
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In 2012 and 2013, US officials indicated that Assange was not named in a [[sealed indictment]].<ref name="NoCaseReuters">Mark Hosenball, [http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/22/us-wikileaks-assange-usa-idUSBRE87L12W20120822 "Despite Assange claims, U.S. has no current case against him"], Reuters, 22 August 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2014.</ref><ref name="IndictmentSubjectChange">Sari Horwitz, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/assange-not-under-sealed-indictment-us-officials-say/2013/11/18/8a3cb2da-506c-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html "Assange not under sealed indictment, U.S. officials say"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 18 November 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.</ref> On 6 March 2018, a [[federal grand jury]] for the [[U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia|Eastern District of Virginia]] issued a sealed indictment against Assange.<ref name="UnsealsIndictment">Charlie Savage, Adam Goldman & Eileen Sullivan,[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/europe/julian-assange-wikileaks-ecuador-embassy.html Julian Assange Arrested in London as U.S. Unseals Hacking Conspiracy Indictment], ''The New York Times'' (11 April 2019).</ref> In November 2018, US prosecutors accidentally revealed the indictment.<ref name=Nytimes2018-11-16>{{cite news| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/julian-assange-indictment-wikileaks.html| title = Assange Is Secretly Charged in U.S., Prosecutors Mistakenly Reveal| work = [[The New York Times]]| author = Charlie Savage |author2=Adam Goldman | author3-link = Michael S. Schmidt|author3=Michael S. Schmidt| date = 16 November 2018| location = Washington DC| accessdate = 25 December 2018| quote = Mr. Hughes, the terrorism expert, who is the deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, posted a screenshot of the court filing on Twitter shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Justice Department was preparing to prosecute Mr. Assange.| author-link = Charlie Savage| author2-link = Adam Goldman}}</ref><ref name=chronicle2018-11-16>{{cite news | url = https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-a-George-Washington-U/245119| title = How a George Washington U. Researcher Stumbled Across a Huge Government Secret| work = [[the Chronicle of Higher Education]]| author = Jack Stripling| date = 16 November 2018| accessdate = 29 September 2017| quote = But the Journal's report made clear that Hughes had stumbled upon something quite remarkable: a major government secret that was hidden in plain sight. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/julian-assange-charged-us-wikileaks-052025935--spt.html|title=Julian Assange charged in US: WikiLeaks|date=16 November 2018|agency=Agence-France Presse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-assange-usa/u-s-prosecutors-get-indictment-against-wikileaks-assange-court-document-idUSKCN1NL0G3|title=U.S. prosecutors get indictment against Wikileaks' Assange: court...|last=Hosenball|first=Mark|agency=Reuters|date=16 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Kevin Poulsen |author2=Spencer Ackerman|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/julian-assange-has-been-charged-according-to-justice-department-filing|title=Julian Assange 'Has Been Charged,' According to Justice Department Filing|newspaper=Daily Beast|date=16 November 2018}}</ref> |
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===Sealed indictment=== |
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In 2012 and 2013, US officials indicated that Assange was not named in a [[sealed indictment]].<ref name="NoCaseReuters">Mark Hosenball, [http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/22/us-wikileaks-assange-usa-idUSBRE87L12W20120822 "Despite Assange claims, U.S. has no current case against him"], Reuters, 22 August 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2014.</ref><ref name="IndictmentSubjectChange">Sari Horwitz, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/assange-not-under-sealed-indictment-us-officials-say/2013/11/18/8a3cb2da-506c-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html "Assange not under sealed indictment, U.S. officials say"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 18 November 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.</ref> On 6 March 2018, a [[federal grand jury]] for the [[U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia|Eastern District of Virginia]] issued a sealed indictment against Assange.<ref name="UnsealsIndictment">Charlie Savage, Adam Goldman & Eileen Sullivan,[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/europe/julian-assange-wikileaks-ecuador-embassy.html Julian Assange Arrested in London as U.S. Unseals Hacking Conspiracy Indictment], ''The New York Times'' (11 April 2019).</ref> |
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In February 2019, [[Chelsea Manning]] received a subpoena to appear before a grand jury in Virginia in the case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/politics/chelsea-manning-grand-jury/index.html|title=Judge rejects effort by Chelsea Manning to avoid grand jury testimony|first=David|last=Shortell|publisher=CNN|date=5 March 2019|accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref> When Manning condemned the secrecy of the hearings and refused to testify, she was jailed for contempt of court on 8 March 2019.<ref name="APNews20190405">{{cite web|url=https://www.apnews.com/569631f2b11c400cac05a29e0853624b|title=Chelsea Manning jailed for refusing to testify on WikiLeaks|first=Matthew|last=Barakat|publisher=Associated Press|date=8 March 2019|accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chelsea Manning: Wikileaks source jailed for refusing to testify|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47501763|access-date=8 March 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dukakakis |first=Ali |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/chelsea-manning-custody-refusing-testify-secret-grand-jury/story?id=61556616 |title=Chelsea Manning taken into custody for refusing to testify before secret grand jury |work=[[ABC News]] |date=8 March 2019 |accessdate=8 March 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chelsea Manning freed from jail – for now |url=https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/chelsea-manning-freed-from-jail-for-now-20190510-p51lzl.html |accessdate=10 May 2019 |agency=Associated Press |work=[[The Age]]|location=Melbourne, Australia |date=10 May 2019}}</ref> On 16 May 2019, Manning refused to testify before a new grand jury investigating Assange, stating that she "believe[d] this grand jury seeks to undermine the integrity of public discourse with the aim of punishing those who expose any serious, ongoing, and systemic abuses of power by this government". She was returned to jail for the 18-month term of the grand jury with financial penalties.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fortin |first1=Jacey |title=Chelsea Manning Ordered Back to Jail for Refusal to Testify in WikiLeaks Inquiry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/us/chelsea-manning-jail.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=19 May 2019 |date=16 May 2019}}</ref> |
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In November 2018, US prosecutors accidentally revealed that Assange had been indicted under seal in US federal court; the revelation came as a result of an error in a different court filing, unrelated to Assange.<ref name=Nytimes2018-11-16>{{cite news| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/julian-assange-indictment-wikileaks.html| title = Assange Is Secretly Charged in U.S., Prosecutors Mistakenly Reveal| work = [[The New York Times]]| author = Charlie Savage |author2=Adam Goldman | author3-link = Michael S. Schmidt|author3=Michael S. Schmidt| date = 16 November 2018| location = Washington DC| accessdate = 25 December 2018| quote = Mr. Hughes, the terrorism expert, who is the deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, posted a screenshot of the court filing on Twitter shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Justice Department was preparing to prosecute Mr. Assange.| author-link = Charlie Savage| author2-link = Adam Goldman}}</ref><ref name=chronicle2018-11-16>{{cite news | url = https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-a-George-Washington-U/245119| title = How a George Washington U. Researcher Stumbled Across a Huge Government Secret| work = [[the Chronicle of Higher Education]]| author = Jack Stripling| date = 16 November 2018| accessdate = 29 September 2017| quote = But the Journal's report made clear that Hughes had stumbled upon something quite remarkable: a major government secret that was hidden in plain sight. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/julian-assange-charged-us-wikileaks-052025935--spt.html|title=Julian Assange charged in US: WikiLeaks|date=16 November 2018|agency=Agence-France Presse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-assange-usa/u-s-prosecutors-get-indictment-against-wikileaks-assange-court-document-idUSKCN1NL0G3|title=U.S. prosecutors get indictment against Wikileaks' Assange: court...|last=Hosenball|first=Mark|agency=Reuters|date=16 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Kevin Poulsen |author2=Spencer Ackerman|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/julian-assange-has-been-charged-according-to-justice-department-filing|title=Julian Assange 'Has Been Charged,' According to Justice Department Filing|newspaper=Daily Beast|date=16 November 2018}}</ref> |
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===Jailing of Chelsea Manning=== |
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{{Main|Chelsea Manning#2019 jailing for contempt}} |
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In February 2019, Manning received a subpoena to appear before a grand jury in Virginia in a case against Assange.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/politics/chelsea-manning-grand-jury/index.html|title=Judge rejects effort by Chelsea Manning to avoid grand jury testimony|first=David|last=Shortell|publisher=CNN|date=5 March 2019|accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref> When Manning condemned the secrecy of the hearings and refused to testify, she was jailed for contempt of court on 8 March 2019.<ref name="APNews20190405">{{cite web|url=https://www.apnews.com/569631f2b11c400cac05a29e0853624b|title=Chelsea Manning jailed for refusing to testify on WikiLeaks|first=Matthew|last=Barakat|publisher=Associated Press|date=8 March 2019|accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chelsea Manning: Wikileaks source jailed for refusing to testify|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47501763|access-date=8 March 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dukakakis |first=Ali |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/chelsea-manning-custody-refusing-testify-secret-grand-jury/story?id=61556616 |title=Chelsea Manning taken into custody for refusing to testify before secret grand jury |work=[[ABC News]] |date=8 March 2019 |accessdate=8 March 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chelsea Manning freed from jail – for now |url=https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/chelsea-manning-freed-from-jail-for-now-20190510-p51lzl.html |accessdate=10 May 2019 |agency=Associated Press |work=[[The Age]]|location=Melbourne, Australia |date=10 May 2019}}</ref> On 16 May 2019, Manning refused to testify before a new grand jury investigating Assange, stating that she "believe[d] this grand jury seeks to undermine the integrity of public discourse with the aim of punishing those who expose any serious, ongoing, and systemic abuses of power by this government". She was returned to jail for the 18-month term of the grand jury with financial penalties.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fortin |first1=Jacey |title=Chelsea Manning Ordered Back to Jail for Refusal to Testify in WikiLeaks Inquiry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/us/chelsea-manning-jail.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=19 May 2019 |date=16 May 2019}}</ref> |
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===Charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion=== |
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On 11 April 2019, the day of Assange's arrest in London, the indictment against him was unsealed.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-fg-britain-julian-assange-arrested-20190411-story.html |title=WikiLeaks' Julian Assange faces U.S. hacking charge after dramatic arrest in London |last1=Megerian |first1=Chris |date=11 April 2019 |work=The Chicago Tribune |access-date=11 April 2019 |last2=Boyle |first2=Christina |last3=Wilber |first3=Del Quentin}}</ref> He was charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion (i.e. hacking into a government computer), a relatively minor crime that carries a maximum 5-year sentence if found guilty.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/europe/julian-assange-wikileaks-ecuador-embassy.html |title=Julian Assange Charged by U.S. With Conspiracy to Hack a Government Computer |last1=Sullivan |first1=Eileen |date=11 April 2019 |work=The New York Times |access-date=11 April 2019 |last2=Pérez-Peña |first2=Richard |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/wikileaks-founder-charged-computer-hacking-conspiracy|title= WikiLeaks Founder Charged in Computer Hacking Conspiracy|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 11 April 2019|website= U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia |access-date= 11 April 2019}}</ref> The charges stem from the allegation that Assange attempted and failed to crack a [[password hash]] so that [[Chelsea Manning]] could use a different username to download classified documents and avoid detection.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/04/11/the-u-s-governments-indictment-of-julian-assange-poses-grave-threats-to-press-freedoms/|title=The U.S. Government's Indictment of Julian Assange Poses Grave Threats to Press Freedoms|last1=Greenwald|first1=Glenn|last2=Lee|first2=Micah|date=12 April 2019|website=The Intercept|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> This information had been known since 2011 and was a component of Manning's trial; the indictment did not reveal any new information about Assange.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70787.html|title=Defense: Manning was 'overcharged'|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|website=Politico|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> |
On 11 April 2019, the day of Assange's arrest in London, the indictment against him was unsealed.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-fg-britain-julian-assange-arrested-20190411-story.html |title=WikiLeaks' Julian Assange faces U.S. hacking charge after dramatic arrest in London |last1=Megerian |first1=Chris |date=11 April 2019 |work=The Chicago Tribune |access-date=11 April 2019 |last2=Boyle |first2=Christina |last3=Wilber |first3=Del Quentin}}</ref> He was charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion (i.e. hacking into a government computer), a relatively minor crime that carries a maximum 5-year sentence if found guilty.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/europe/julian-assange-wikileaks-ecuador-embassy.html |title=Julian Assange Charged by U.S. With Conspiracy to Hack a Government Computer |last1=Sullivan |first1=Eileen |date=11 April 2019 |work=The New York Times |access-date=11 April 2019 |last2=Pérez-Peña |first2=Richard |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/wikileaks-founder-charged-computer-hacking-conspiracy|title= WikiLeaks Founder Charged in Computer Hacking Conspiracy|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 11 April 2019|website= U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia |access-date= 11 April 2019}}</ref> The charges stem from the allegation that Assange attempted and failed to crack a [[password hash]] so that [[Chelsea Manning]] could use a different username to download classified documents and avoid detection.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/04/11/the-u-s-governments-indictment-of-julian-assange-poses-grave-threats-to-press-freedoms/|title=The U.S. Government's Indictment of Julian Assange Poses Grave Threats to Press Freedoms|last1=Greenwald|first1=Glenn|last2=Lee|first2=Micah|date=12 April 2019|website=The Intercept|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> This information had been known since 2011 and was a component of Manning's trial; the indictment did not reveal any new information about Assange.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70787.html|title=Defense: Manning was 'overcharged'|last=Gerstein|first=Josh|website=Politico|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> |
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On 23 May 2019, Assange was indicted on 17 new charges relating to the [[Espionage Act of 1917]] in the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-with-17-new-counts-11558641695 |title=WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Charged With 17 New Counts |last1=Gurman |first1=Sadie |date=23 May 2019 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=23 May 2019 |last2=Viswanatha |first2=Aruna |issn=0099-9660 |last3=Volz |first3=Dustin|url-access=subscription}}</ref> These charges carry a maximum sentence of 170 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news |title=US charges WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with violating Espionage Act, threatening him with up to 170 years in jail |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3011588/us-charges-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange |accessdate=27 September 2019 |work=South China Morning Post |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> The Obama administration had debated charging Assange under the Espionage Act but decided against it out of fear that it would have a negative effect on investigative journalism and could be unconstitutional. The new charges relate to obtaining and publishing the secret documents. Most of these charges relate to obtaining the secret documents. The three charges related to publication concern documents which revealed the names of sources in dangerous places putting them "at a grave and imminent risk" of harm or detention. ''The New York Times'' commented that it and other news organisations obtained the same documents as WikiLeaks also without government authorisation. It also said it is not clear how WikiLeaks's publications are legally different from other publications of classified information.<ref name="NYT230519">{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |title=Assange Indicted Under Espionage Act, Raising First Amendment Issues |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/politics/assange-indictment.html |accessdate=26 September 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=23 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Denver230519">{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks founder indicted on criminal charges |url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/wikileaks-founder-indicted-on-criminal-charges |accessdate=26 September 2019 |publisher=CNN |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> |
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===Charges under the Espionage Act=== |
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On 23 May 2019, Assange was indicted on 17 new charges relating to the [[Espionage Act of 1917]] in the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-with-17-new-counts-11558641695 |title=WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Charged With 17 New Counts |last1=Gurman |first1=Sadie |date=23 May 2019 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=23 May 2019 |last2=Viswanatha |first2=Aruna |issn=0099-9660 |last3=Volz |first3=Dustin}}</ref> The Espionage Act charges carry a maximum sentence of 170 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news |title=US charges WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with violating Espionage Act, threatening him with up to 170 years in jail |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3011588/us-charges-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange |accessdate=27 September 2019 |work=South China Morning Post |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> The Obama administration had debated charging Assange under the Espionage Act but decided against it out of fear that it would have a negative effect on investigative journalism and could be unconstitutional. The new charges relate to obtaining and publishing the secret documents. Most of these charges relate to obtaining the secret documents. The three charges related to publication concern documents which revealed the names of sources in dangerous places putting them "at a grave and imminent risk" of harm or detention. The New York Times commented that it and other news organisations obtained the same documents as WikiLeaks also without government authorisation. It also said it is not clear how WikiLeaks's publications are legally different from other publications of classified information.<ref name="NYT230519">{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |title=Assange Indicted Under Espionage Act, Raising First Amendment Issues |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/politics/assange-indictment.html |accessdate=26 September 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=23 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Denver230519">{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks founder indicted on criminal charges |url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/wikileaks-founder-indicted-on-criminal-charges |accessdate=26 September 2019 |publisher=CNN |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> |
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Most cases brought under the Espionage Act have been against government employees who accessed sensitive information and leaked it to journalists and others.<ref name="BFN230519">{{cite news |last1=Tillman |first1=Zoe |title=The New Charges Against Julian Assange Are Unprecedented. Press Freedom Groups Say They're A Threat To All Journalists. |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/julian-assange-charges-threat-journalists-press-freedom |accessdate=26 September 2019 |publisher=BuzzFeed News |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> Prosecuting people for acts related to receiving and publishing information has not previously been tested in court.<ref name="NYT230519"/> In 1975, the Justice Department decided after consideration not to charge journalist Seymour Hersh for reporting on US surveillance of the Soviet Union.<ref name="BFN230519"/> Two lobbyists for a pro-Israel group were charged in 2005 with receiving and sharing classified information about American policy toward Iran. The charges however did not relate to the publication of the documents and the case was dropped |
Most cases brought under the Espionage Act have been against government employees who accessed sensitive information and leaked it to journalists and others.<ref name="BFN230519">{{cite news |last1=Tillman |first1=Zoe |title=The New Charges Against Julian Assange Are Unprecedented. Press Freedom Groups Say They're A Threat To All Journalists. |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/julian-assange-charges-threat-journalists-press-freedom |accessdate=26 September 2019 |publisher=BuzzFeed News |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> Prosecuting people for acts related to receiving and publishing information has not previously been tested in court.<ref name="NYT230519"/> In 1975, the Justice Department decided after consideration not to charge journalist Seymour Hersh for reporting on US surveillance of the Soviet Union.<ref name="BFN230519"/> Two lobbyists for a pro-Israel group were charged in 2005 with receiving and sharing classified information about American policy toward Iran. The charges however did not relate to the publication of the documents and the case was dropped in 2009.<ref name="NYT230519"/><ref name="BFN230519"/> |
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The [[Associated Press]] reported that the indictment raised concerns about media freedom, as Assange's solicitation and publication of classified information is a routine job journalists perform.<ref>{{cite news |title=New charges were filed Thursday against the WikiLeaks founder. |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/julian-assange-charged-publishing-classified-us-info-1213366 |accessdate=11 September 2019 |agency=Associated Press|date=23 May 2019}}</ref> [[Stephen Vladeck]], a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, stated that what Assange is accused of doing is factually different from but legally similar to what professional journalists do.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange charged with violating Espionage Act |url=https://beta.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-with-violating-espionage-act/2019/05/23/42a2c6cc-7d6a-11e9-a5b3-34f3edf1351e_story.html |accessdate=11 September 2019 |work=The Washington Post|date=23 May 2019|url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Suzanne Nossel]] of [[PEN America]] said it was immaterial if Assange was a journalist or publisher and pointed instead to First Amendment concerns.<ref>{{cite news |last1=KENEALLY|first1=MEGHAN |title=New charges against Julian Assange raise concerns about ripple effects on press freedom |
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[[Stephen Vladeck]], a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, stated that what Assange is accused of doing is factually different from but legally similar to what professional journalists do.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange charged with violating Espionage Act |url=https://beta.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-charged-with-violating-espionage-act/2019/05/23/42a2c6cc-7d6a-11e9-a5b3-34f3edf1351e_story.html |accessdate=11 September 2019 |work=The Washington Post|date=23 May 2019}}</ref> Vladeck also said the Espionage Act charges could provide Assange with an argument against extradition under the US-UK treaty as there is an exemption in the treaty for political offences.<ref name="Denver230519"/> Forbes magazine stated that the US government created outcry among journalists in its indictment of Assange as the US sought to debate if Assange was a journalist or not.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sandler|first1=Rachel|title=Free Speech Outcry Grows After Assange Indictment |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2019/05/23/assange-indicted-under-espionage-act/ |accessdate=11 September 2019 |work=Forbes|date=23 May 2019}}</ref> [[Suzanne Nossel]] of [[PEN America]] said it was immaterial if Assange was a journalist or publisher and pointed instead to first amendment concerns.<ref>{{cite news |last1=KENEALLY|first1=MEGHAN |title=New charges against Julian Assange raise concerns about ripple effects on press freedom |
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|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/charges-julian-assange-prompt-outcry-edward-snowden-civil/story?id=63254108 |accessdate=11 September 2019 |publisher=ABC News|date=24 May 2019}}</ref> |
|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/charges-julian-assange-prompt-outcry-edward-snowden-civil/story?id=63254108 |accessdate=11 September 2019 |publisher=ABC News|date=24 May 2019}}</ref> |
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While some US politicians supported the arrest and indictment of Julian Assange, several non-government organisations for press freedom, condemned it. [[Mark Warner]], vice-chairman of the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]] said that Assange was "a dedicated accomplice in efforts to undermine American security".<ref name="CEO Magazine">{{cite news |title=World reacts to arrest of WikiLeaks founder of Julian Assange |url=https://news.theceomagazine.com/news/world-reacts-to-julian-assange-arrest/ |work=The CEO Magazine |date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Several jurists, politicians, associations, academics and campaigners viewed the arrest of Assange as an attack on freedom of the press and international law.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2019/05/24/assange-des-accusations-sans-precedent-effrayantes-et-un-coup-porte-a-la-liberte-de-la-presse_5466508_4408996.html|title= Les inculpations contre Julian Assange sont sans précédent, effrayantes, et un coup porté à la liberté de la presse |date=24 May 2019|via=Le Monde|newspaper= Le Monde.fr }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/fr/deeplinks/2019/05/governments-indictment-julian-assange-poses-clear-and-present-danger-journalism|title=The Government's Indictment of Julian Assange Poses a Clear and Present Danger to Journalism, the Freedom of the Press, and Freedom of Speech|first=David Greene and Kurt|last=Opsahl|date=24 May 2019|publisher=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/12/julian-assange-charges-press-freedom-journalism|title=Julian Assange's charges are a direct assault on press freedom, experts warn|first=Ed |last=Pilkington|newspaper=The Guardian|date=12 April 2019}}</ref> The [[Reporters Without Borders]] said Assange's arrest would "set a dangerous precedent for journalists, whistle-blowers, and other journalistic sources that the US may wish to pursue in the future".<ref name="corbyn">{{cite news |title=Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47891737 |publisher=BBC News|date=11 April 2019}}</ref> [[Kenneth Roth]], executive director of [[Human Rights Watch]], wrote that Assange's prosecution for publishing leaked documents is "a major threat to global media freedom".<ref name="auto4">{{cite news |title=The Assange prosecution threatens modern journalism |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/12/the-assange-prosecution-threatens-modern-journalism |work=The Guardian |date=12 April 2019}}</ref> United Nations human rights expert [[Agnes Callamard]] said the indictment exposed him to the risk of serious human rights violations.<ref>{{cite web|title=UN experts warn Assange arrest exposes him to risk of serious human rights violations|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1036491|website=UN News|date=11 April 2019|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref> [[Ben Wizner]] from the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] said that prosecuting Assange "for violating US secrecy laws would set an especially dangerous precedent for US journalists, who routinely violate foreign secrecy laws to deliver information vital to the public's interest".<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|last1=Oprysko|first1=Caitlin|last2=Cheney|first2=Kyle|date=11 April 2019|title=WikiLeaks' Assange arrested on U.S. charges he helped hack Pentagon computers|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/11/wikileaks-assange-arrested-1267668|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite news |title=Julian Assange arrested after U.S. extradition request, charged with hacking government computer |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/assange-arrested-london-1.5093405 |publisher=CBC News |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> |
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===Reactions to the US indictment=== |
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Several jurists, politicians, associations, academics and campaigners viewed the arrest of Assange as an attack on freedom of the press and international law.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2019/05/24/assange-des-accusations-sans-precedent-effrayantes-et-un-coup-porte-a-la-liberte-de-la-presse_5466508_4408996.html|title= Les inculpations contre Julian Assange sont sans précédent, effrayantes, et un coup porté à la liberté de la presse |date=24 May 2019|via=Le Monde|newspaper= Le Monde.fr }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/fr/deeplinks/2019/05/governments-indictment-julian-assange-poses-clear-and-present-danger-journalism|title=The Government's Indictment of Julian Assange Poses a Clear and Present Danger to Journalism, the Freedom of the Press, and Freedom of Speech|first=David Greene and Kurt|last=Opsahl|date=24 May 2019|publisher=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/12/julian-assange-charges-press-freedom-journalism|title=Julian Assange's charges are a direct assault on press freedom, experts warn|first=Ed |last=Pilkington|newspaper=The Guardian|date=12 April 2019}}</ref> The [[Reporters Without Borders]] said Assange's arrest could "set a dangerous precedent for journalists, whistle-blowers, and other journalistic sources that the US may wish to pursue in the future."<ref name="corbyn">{{cite news |title=Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47891737 |publisher=BBC News|date=11 April 2019}}</ref> [[Kenneth Roth]], executive director of [[Human Rights Watch]], wrote that Assange's prosecution for publishing leaked documents is "a major threat to global media freedom".<ref name="auto4">{{cite news |title=The Assange prosecution threatens modern journalism |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/12/the-assange-prosecution-threatens-modern-journalism |work=The Guardian |date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Independent United Nations rights experts such as [[Agnes Callamard]] said "the arrest of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange by police in the United Kingdom, after the Ecuadorian Government decided to stop granting him asylum in their London embassy, exposed him to the risk of serious human rights violations, if extradited to the United States".<ref>{{cite web|title=UN experts warn Assange arrest exposes him to risk of serious human rights violations|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/04/1036491|website=UN News|date=11 April 2019|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref> |
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====Reactions in the UK and the EU==== |
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[[WikiLeaks]] was recognised as a media organisation in 2017 by a UK tribunal, contradicting public assertions to the contrary by some US officials, and possibly supporting Assange's efforts to oppose his extradition to the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-assange-usa-legal-analysis-idUSKCN1RN2RZ|title=Assange hacking charge limits free speech defense: legal experts|date=11 April 2019|agency=Reuters}}</ref><ref name="tribunal_guardian">{{cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |title=WikiLeaks recognised as a 'media organisation' by UK tribunal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/dec/14/wikileaks-recognised-as-a-media-organisation-by-uk-tribunal |accessdate=11 September 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=14 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/14/wikileaks-called-media-organization-uk-tribunal-po/|title=WikiLeaks called 'media organization' by U.K. tribunal, potentially complicating extradition efforts|first=Andrew|last=Blake|website=The Washington Times}}</ref><ref name="maurizi_tribunal_2017">{{cite news |last1=Maurizi |first1=Stefania |title=London Tribunal dismisses la Repubblica's appeal to access the full file of Julian Assange |url= https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2017/12/14/news/london_tribunal_dismisses_la_repubblica_s_appeal_to_access_the_full_file_of_julian_assange-184083942/ |accessdate=11 September 2019 |publisher=La Repubblica |date=14 December 2017}}</ref> This is why the Dutch senator [[Tiny Kox]] asked the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, [[Dunja Mijatovic]], whether the arrest of Assange and his possible extradition to the US are in line with the criteria of the [[European Convention on Human Rights]], because Assange can benefit from the protection of the right to freedom of expression and information according the [[Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights]].<ref>{{cite web|title=La Convention européenne des droits de l'homme peut-elle empêcher l'extradition de Julian Assange vers les États-Unis ?|url=https://www.humanite.fr/la-convention-europeenne-des-droits-de-lhomme-peut-elle-empecher-lextradition-de-julian-assange-vers|website=L'Humanité|language=fr|date=12 April 2019|access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref> |
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In 2019, [[Jeremy Corbyn]], then leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]], said that Assange had revealed "evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan" and his extradition to the United States "should be opposed by the British government".<ref name="corbyn"/> In February 2020, Corbyn (no longer leader of the party) again praised Assange, demanding a halt to the extradition. The Prime Minister, [[Boris Johnson]] commented on the case, saying "it’s obvious that the rights of journalists and whistleblowers should be upheld and this government will continue to do that.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-julian-assange-extradition-us-wikileaks-war-crimes-a9331376.html|title=Jeremy Corbyn praises Julian Assange and calls for extradition to US to be halted|first=Rob|last=Merrick|date=12 February 2020|work=Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-slams-unbalanced-us-extradition-deal-assange-harry-dunn-2020-2|title=Boris Johnson threatens to rip up 'unbalanced' extradition treaty with the US after Trump refuses to extradite a diplomat's wife accused of killing a British teenager|first=Thomas|last=Colson|date=12 February 2020|work=Business Insider}}</ref> |
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[[Eva Joly]], magistrate and MEP, said that "the arrest of Julian Assange is an attack on [[freedom of expression]], [[international law]] and [[right to asylum]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=VIDEO. Eva Joly : "l'arrestation de Julian Assange est une attaque à la liberté de la presse"|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/europe/video-eva-joly-l-arrestation-de-julian-assange-est-une-attaque-a-la-liberte-de-la-presse_3353223.html|website=Franceinfo|language=fr|date=12 April 2019|access-date=13 April 2019}}</ref> [[Sevim Dagdelen]], a German Bundestag MP who specialises in international law and press law, describes Assange's arrest as "an attack on independent journalism" and says that he "is today seriously endangered".<ref>{{cite web|title=Lutter contre l'extradition d'Assange, c'est lutter pour la liberté de la presse|url=https://www.humanite.fr/lutter-contre-lextradition-dassange-cest-lutter-pour-la-liberte-de-la-presse-670808|website=L'Humanité|language=fr|date=12 April 2019|access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Des parlementaires soutiennent Assange à Londres|journal=24 Heures (Fr)|url=https://www.24heures.ch/monde/parlementaires-soutiennent-assange-londres/story/18773950|language=fr|access-date=16 April 2019|date=15 April 2019|issn=1424-4039}}</ref> [[Dick Marty]], a former state prosecutor of Ticino and rapporteur on the CIA's secret prisons for the Council of Europe, considers the arrest of whistleblowers "very shocking".<ref>{{cite web|title="Je suis choqué. Assange n'a fait que dire la vérité", clame Dick Marty|url=https://www.rts.ch/info/monde/10359555--je-suis-choque-assange-n-a-fait-que-dire-la-verite-clame-dick-marty.html|website=rts.ch|language=fr|date=11 April 2019|access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Dick Marty: "Assange ha solo detto la verità". In Ecuador un nuovo arresto|url=https://www.ticinotoday.ch/content/dick-marty-assange-ha-solo-detto-la-verit%C3%A0-ecuador-un-nuovo-arresto|language= it |date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Several well-known Swiss jurists have asked the Federal Council to grant asylum to the founder of Wikileaks because he is threatened with extradition to the United States, which in the past "silenced whistleblowers".<ref>{{cite web|title=Des juristes suisses de renom veulent que la Suisse accordent l'asile à Julian Assange, fondateur de Wikileaks|url=https://www.lenouvelliste.ch/articles/suisse/des-juristes-suisses-de-renom-veulent-que-la-suisse-accordent-l-asile-a-julian-assange-fondateur-de-wikileaks-837798|website=lenouvelliste.ch|language=fr|access-date=3 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lematin.ch/suisse/Des-juristes-appellent-a-donner-asile-a-Assange/story/28833347|title=Des juristes appellent à donner asile à Assange|newspaper=Le Matin|date=2 May 2019|accessdate=7 May 2019}}</ref> |
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The French Union of Journalists ({{illm|Syndicat national des journalistes (CGT)|fr|Syndicat national des journalistes CGT}}), said that "the dissemination of documents or information of public interest" could not be considered a legal offence. The union called on Britain "to refuse the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States and to release him."<ref>{{cite web|title=Julian Assange ne doit pas être condamné pour son travail de lanceur d'alerte (SNJ-CGT)|url=https://www.acrimed.org/Julian-Assange-ne-doit-pas-etre-condamne-pour-son|website=Acrimed {{!}} Action Critique Médias|language=fr|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref> |
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In a letter, several French Union of Journalists ({{illm|Syndicat national des journalistes (CGT)|fr|Syndicat national des journalistes CGT}}) and ({{illm|Syndicat national des journalistes (CFDT)|fr|Syndicat national des journalistes CFDT}}) asked [[Emmanuel Macron]] to enforce [[Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights]]. According them, "Faced with threats to Julian Assange's health and at the risk of seeing him sentenced to life imprisonment, we are saying loud and clear, with the [[International Federation of Journalists|IFJ]] (Fédération internationale des journalistes) that 'journalism is not a crime'". They add: |
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{{quote|Julian Assange denounced in his publications war crimes condemned by the [[Geneva Convention]]. Today, he is the one we would like to imprison, we would like to silence. ... We consider this case one of the most serious attacks on the freedom of the press, against public freedoms within the EU. The [[IFJ]], the French unions and their Australian counterparts have launched a motion to seize this serious case the [[UN Human Rights Council]] and the [[European Parliament]] and the [[Council of Europe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.acrimed.org/Le-cas-de-Julian-Assange-constitue-une|title=Le cas de Julian Assange constitue une inquiétante violation de la liberté de la presse (communiqué intersyndical)|publisher=Acrimed|date=28 November 2019|accessdate=9 January 2020}}</ref>}} |
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The [[yellow vests movement]] called for Assange's release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.7sur7.be/7s7/fr/1505/Monde/article/detail/3527315/2019/04/27/23-600-gilets-jaunes-et-rouges-contre-les-medias-et-le-bla-bla-presidentiel.dhtml|title=Quelque 23.600 gilets jaunes en France, Paris "capitale de l'émeute" le 1er mai?|date=27 April 2019|website=7sur7.be|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lci.fr/social/video-les-gilets-jaunes-manifestent-devant-des-medias-parisiens-2119623.html|title=VIDÉO – A Paris, les Gilets jaunes ont fait la tournée des médias|website=LCI|language=fr|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lejdd.fr/Societe/a-londres-maxime-nicolle-et-des-gilets-jaunes-reclament-la-liberation-de-julian-assange-3896290|title=A Londres, Maxime Nicolle et des Gilets jaunes réclament la libération de Julian Assange|last=Liabot|first=Thomas|date=2 May 2019|publisher=Le Journal du Dimanche|accessdate=7 May 2019}}</ref> |
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====Reactions in the US==== |
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While some US politicians supported the arrest and indictment of Julian Assange, several non-governmental organisations of press freedom condemned it. |
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[[Mark Warner]], vice-chairman of the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]], welcomed the arrest of Assange, saying that Assange was "a dedicated accomplice in efforts to undermine American security".<ref name="CEO Magazine">{{cite news |title=World reacts to arrest of WikiLeaks founder of Julian Assange |url=https://news.theceomagazine.com/news/world-reacts-to-julian-assange-arrest/ |work=The CEO Magazine |date=12 April 2019}}</ref> The president of the [[Center for American Progress]] and former Obama aide [[Neera Tanden]] also welcomed the arrest and condemned Assange's leftist supporters, tweeting that "the Assange cultists are the worst. Assange was the agent of a proto-fascist state, Russia, to undermine democracy. That is fascist behaviour. Anyone on the left should abhor what he did."<ref name="CEO Magazine"/> |
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The deputy director of the [[Committee to Protect Journalists]], [[Robert Mahoney]], said "With this prosecution of Julian Assange, the US government could set out broad legal arguments about journalists soliciting information or interacting with sources that could have chilling consequences for investigative reporting and the publication of information of public interest."<ref name="auto3"/> According to [[Yochai Benkler]], a Harvard law professor, the charge sheet contained some "very dangerous elements that pose significant risk to national security reporting. Sections of the indictment are vastly overbroad and could have a significant chilling effect – they ought to be rejected."<ref name="auto3"/> [[Carrie DeCell]], staff attorney with the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the charges "risk having a chill on journalism".<ref name="auto3"/> She added, "Many of the allegations fall absolutely within the first amendment's protections of journalistic activity. That's very troubling to us."<ref name="auto3"/> |
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[[Ben Wizner]] from the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU) speculated that if authorities were to prosecute Assange "for violating US secrecy laws [it] would set an especially dangerous precedent for US journalists, who routinely violate foreign secrecy laws to deliver information vital to the public's interest."<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|last1=Oprysko|first1=Caitlin|last2=Cheney|first2=Kyle|date=11 April 2019|title=WikiLeaks' Assange arrested on U.S. charges he helped hack Pentagon computers|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/11/wikileaks-assange-arrested-1267668|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite news |title=Julian Assange arrested after U.S. extradition request, charged with hacking government computer |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/assange-arrested-london-1.5093405 |publisher=CBC News |date=11 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/> |
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NSA whistleblower [[Edward Snowden]] and the [[Pentagon Papers]] whistleblower [[Daniel Ellsberg]] condemned the indictment.<ref name="Newsweek">{{cite news |title=Edward Snowden, Rafael Correa Condemn Julian Assange Arrest: 'This Is a Dark Moment for Press Freedom' |url=https://www.newsweek.com/edward-snowden-rafael-correa-condemn-julian-assange-arrest-dark-moment-press-1393030 |work=Newsweek |date=11 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Daniel Ellsberg on Assange Arrest: The Beginning of the End For Press Freedom |url=https://therealnews.com/stories/daniel-ellsberg-on-assange-arrest-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-press-freedom |publisher=[[The Real News]] |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> Snowden tweeted that "Assange's critics may cheer, but this is a dark moment for press freedom."<ref>{{cite news |title=Factbox: Reaction to arrest of Julian Assange in London |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-assange-factbox/factbox-reaction-to-arrest-of-julian-assange-in-london-idUSKCN1RN1I5 |agency=Reuters |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> [[Daniel Ellsberg]] said: |
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{{quote|Forty-eight years ago, I was the first journalistic source to be indicted. There have been perhaps a dozen since then, nine under President Obama. But Julian Assange is the first journalist to be indicted. If he is extradited to the U.S. and convicted, he will not be the last. The First Amendment is a pillar of our democracy and this is an assault on it. If freedom of speech is violated to this extent, our republic is in danger. Unauthorized disclosures are the lifeblood of the republic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://progressive.org/api/content/5f0de67c-652b-11e9-a472-12f1225286c6/|title=Daniel Ellsberg Speaks Out on the Arrest of Julian Assange|first=Dennis J.|last=Bernstein|date=23 April 2019|website=Progressive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw8yf6Luwo4|title=Daniel Ellsberg On Assange Arrest: The Beginning of the End For Press Freedom|via=YouTube}}</ref>}} |
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According to [[Ron Paul]], Assange should receive the same kind of protections as the mainstream media when it comes to releasing information. He said "In a free society we're supposed to know the truth{{nbsp}} ... In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it." He added "This is media, isn't it? I mean, why don't we prosecute The New York Times or anybody that releases this?"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ron-paul-defends-wikileaks-founders-rights/|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121205235524/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20024605-503544.html|url-status=dead|title=Ron Paul Defends WikiLeaks Founder's Rights|publisher=CBS News|archive-date=5 December 2012|access-date=10 February 2020}}</ref> |
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====Reactions in Australia==== |
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In October 2019, former deputy prime minister [[Barnaby Joyce]] called for the federal government to take action to stop Assange being extradited from the United Kingdom to the US. Later in October, the cross-party Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Working Group was established. Its co-chairs are independent [[Andrew Wilkie]] and Liberal National MP [[George Christensen]]. Its members include Greens [[Richard Di Natale]], [[Adam Bandt]] and [[Peter Whish-Wilson]], Centre Alliance MPs [[Rebekha Sharkie]] and [[Rex Patrick]] and independent [[Zali Steggall]].<ref name="abc291019">{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Samuel |last2=Stephen |first2=Adam |title=Julian Assange in 'a crazy situation', set to receive request for a visit from George Christensen |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/nq-politician-seeks-meeting-with-wikileaks-founder/11649266 |accessdate=30 October 2019 |publisher=ABC News |date=29 October 2019}}</ref> |
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====Other reactions==== |
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Former Ecuadorian president [[Rafael Correa]] condemned Assange's arrest.<ref name="Newsweek"/> Bolivian President [[Evo Morales]] also condemned it.<ref name="assangereactions"/> [[Maria Zakharova]], spokesperson for the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], condemned the indictment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/04/11/russian-officials-react-to-julian-assanges-arrest-2-a65194|title=Russian Officials Condemn Julian Assange's Arrest in London|last=Times|first=The Moscow|date=11 April 2019|website=The Moscow Times|access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="assangereactions">{{cite news |title=Julian Assange's arrest draws fierce international reaction |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/wikileaks-julian-assange-arrest-international-reaction |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=11 April 2019}}</ref> In January 2020, the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] voted to oppose Assange’s extradition to the US.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Ben |title=Human rights report to oppose extradition of Julian Assange to US |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/28/julian-assange-detention-sets-dangerous-precedent-for-journalists |accessdate=29 January 2020 |publisher=The Guardian |date=28 January 2020}}</ref> On Assange's birthday in 2020, 40 organizations including the [[International Federation of Journalists]], the [[National Union of Journalists]], the [[National Lawyers Guild]], the [[International Association of Democratic Lawyers]], the [[Centre for Investigative Journalism]] and the [[World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters]] wrote an open letter demanding that Assange be released.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rsf.org/en/news/forty-rights-groups-call-uk-release-julian-assange|title=Forty rights groups call on the UK to release Julian Assange|publisher=Reporters Without Borders|date=2020-07-03|accessdate=2020-07-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/40-rights-groups-call-for-assanges-immediate-release-39337175.html|title=40 rights groups call for Assange's immediate release|first=Alan|last=Jones|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|date=2020-07-03|accessdate=2020-07-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/government-faces-fresh-calls-release-assange-he-spends-his-49th-birthday-behind-bars|title=Government faces fresh calls to release Assange as he spends his 49th birthday behind bars|publisher=Morning Star|accessdate=2020-07-24}}</ref> |
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==Imprisonment in the UK== |
==Imprisonment in the UK== |
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On 30 December 2019, Melzer accused the UK government of torturing Julian Assange. He said Assange's "continued exposure to severe mental and emotional suffering ... clearly amounts to psychological torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24926 |title=Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment |first=Nils|last=Melzer|work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|OHCHR]]|date=29 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wikileaks-julian-assange-chelsea-manning-torture-un-detention-whistleblower-nils-melzer-a9266076.html |title=WikiLeaks: UN official accuses UK and US of torture over treatment of Assange and Manning|first=Andrew|last=Buncombe|date=31 December 2019|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> |
On 30 December 2019, Melzer accused the UK government of torturing Julian Assange. He said Assange's "continued exposure to severe mental and emotional suffering ... clearly amounts to psychological torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=24926 |title=Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment |first=Nils|last=Melzer|work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|OHCHR]]|date=29 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wikileaks-julian-assange-chelsea-manning-torture-un-detention-whistleblower-nils-melzer-a9266076.html |title=WikiLeaks: UN official accuses UK and US of torture over treatment of Assange and Manning|first=Andrew|last=Buncombe|date=31 December 2019|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> |
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On 17 February 2020, Doctors for Assange, now comprising 117 medical practitioners from 18 countries, |
On 17 February 2020, the medical journal ''[[The Lancet]]'' published an open letter from Doctors for Assange, now comprising 117 medical practitioners from 18 countries,<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors= Frost S, Johnson L, [[Jill Stein|Stein J]], Frost W, et al.|date= 19 February 2020 |title= End torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange |journal= [[The Lancet]] |volume= 395 |issue= 10226 |pages= e44–e45 |doi= 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30383-4 |pmid= 32078804 |s2cid= 211141391 |url= https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30383-4/fulltext |issn= 0140-6736 |access-date= 29 June 2020 }}</ref> in which they said Assange was in a "dire state of health due to the effects of prolonged psychological torture in both the Ecuadorian embassy and Belmarsh prison" which could lead to his death and that his "politically motivated medical neglect ... sets a dangerous precedent".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/doctors-call-for-end-of-assange-torture/ar-BB106b9w|title=Doctors call for end of Assange 'torture'|first=Padraig|last=Collins|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[Microsoft News|MSN News]]}}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}}<ref>{{cite web|url= https://news.sky.com/story/julian-assange-could-be-effectively-tortured-to-death-in-belmarsh-doctors-claim-11936883 |title=Julian Assange 'in dire state of health due to psychological torture', doctors claim |first=Emily|last=Mee|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[Sky News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.dw.com/de/%C3%A4rzte-kritisieren-haft-von-wikileaks-gr%C3%BCnder-assange-als-folter/a-52412264 |language=de |title=Ärzte kritisieren Haft von Wikileaks-Gründer Assange als Folter|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref> On the same day, the [[Reporters Without Borders]] (RSF) media freedoms group posted a separate petition which accused the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] of acting in "retaliation for (Assange's) facilitating major revelations in the international media about the way the United States conducted its wars". The petition said, Assange's publications "were clearly in the public interest and not espionage".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/02/566644/doctors-media-freedom-group-rally-around-assange |title=Doctors, media freedom group rally around Assange|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.france24.com/fr/20200218-m%C3%A9decins-et-journalistes-apportent-leur-soutien-%C3%A0-julian-assange |language=fr |title=Médecins et journalistes apportent leur soutien à Julian Assange|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[France 24]]}}</ref> Australian MPs [[Andrew Wilkie]] and [[George Christensen]] visited Assange and pressed the UK and Australian governments to intervene to stop him being extradited.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/18/julian-assange-australian-mps-uk-boris-johnson-block-us-extradition |title=Julian Assange: Australian MPs call on UK to block US extradition|first=Ben|last=Quinn|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6635833/uk-pm-johnson-urged-to-end-assange-trial/ |title=UK PM Johnson urged to end Assange trial|first=Marty|last=Silk|date=18 February 2020|publisher=[[The Canberra Times]]}}</ref> |
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On 10 March 2020, the [[International Bar Association]]'s [[IBAHRI|Human Rights Institute]], [[IBAHRI]], condemned the mistreatment of Julian Assange in the US extradition trial.<ref name="ibahri">{{cite web|url=https://www.ibanet.org/Article/NewDetail.aspx?ArticleUid=c05c57ee-1fee-47dc-99f9-26824208a750|title=IBAHRI condemns UK treatment of Julian Assange in US extradition trial|publisher=[[IBAHRI]]}}</ref> |
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On 25 March 2020, Assange was denied bail after Judge Baraitser rejected his lawyers' argument that his imprisonment would put him at high risk of contracting [[COVID-19]].<ref name=baildenied>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-assange/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-denied-bail-by-london-court-idUSKBN21C266|title=Wikileaks founder Julian Assange denied bail by London court|publisher=Reuters|date=25 March 2020|accessdate= 25 March 2020}}</ref> She said Assange's past conduct showed how far he was willing to go to avoid extradition.<ref name=baildenied /> |
On 25 March 2020, Assange was denied bail after Judge Baraitser rejected his lawyers' argument that his imprisonment would put him at high risk of contracting [[COVID-19]].<ref name=baildenied>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-assange/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-denied-bail-by-london-court-idUSKBN21C266|title=Wikileaks founder Julian Assange denied bail by London court|publisher=Reuters|date=25 March 2020|accessdate= 25 March 2020}}</ref> She said Assange's past conduct showed how far he was willing to go to avoid extradition.<ref name=baildenied /> |
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On 25 June 2020, Doctors for Assange, now 216 medical practitioners from 33 countries, published yet another letter in ''The Lancet'' "reiterating their demand to end the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange",<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors= Hogan W, Frost S, Johnson L, Schulze T, Nelson E, Frost W, et al.|date= 25 June 2020 |title= The ongoing torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange |journal= [[The Lancet]] |volume= 396 |issue= 10243 |pages= 22–23 |doi= 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31444-6 |pmid= 32593324 |pmc= 7316471 |s2cid= 220056656 |url= https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31444-6/fulltext#sec1 |issn= 0140-6736 |access-date= 29 June 2020 }}</ref> in which they state their "professional and ethical duty to speak out against, report, and stop torture."<ref>{{cite news|last1= Untersinger |first1= Martin |date= 26 June 2020 |title= Des médecins dénoncent la " torture " subie par Julian Assange, le fondateur de WikiLeaks |trans-title= Doctors denounce the "torture" suffered by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange |url= https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2020/06/26/des-medecins-denoncent-la-torture-subie-par-julian-assange-le-fondateur-de-wikileaks_6044278_4408996.html |url-status= |language= fr |work= [[Le Monde]] |location= Paris |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= 29 June 2020 |via= |quote= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date= 25 June 2020 |title= Doctors for Assange Say UK May be Liable for His Torture |url= https://consortiumnews.com/2020/06/25/doctors-for-assange-say-uk-may-be-liable-for-his-torture/ |url-status= |work= Consortium News |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= 29 June 2020 |via= |quote= }}</ref> |
On 25 June 2020, Doctors for Assange, now 216 medical practitioners from 33 countries, published yet another letter in ''The Lancet'' "reiterating their demand to end the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange",<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors= Hogan W, Frost S, Johnson L, Schulze T, Nelson E, Frost W, et al.|date= 25 June 2020 |title= The ongoing torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange |journal= [[The Lancet]] |volume= 396 |issue= 10243 |pages= 22–23 |doi= 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31444-6 |pmid= 32593324 |pmc= 7316471 |s2cid= 220056656 |url= https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31444-6/fulltext#sec1 |issn= 0140-6736 |access-date= 29 June 2020 }}</ref> in which they state their "professional and ethical duty to speak out against, report, and stop torture."<ref>{{cite news|last1= Untersinger |first1= Martin |date= 26 June 2020 |title= Des médecins dénoncent la " torture " subie par Julian Assange, le fondateur de WikiLeaks |trans-title= Doctors denounce the "torture" suffered by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange |url= https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2020/06/26/des-medecins-denoncent-la-torture-subie-par-julian-assange-le-fondateur-de-wikileaks_6044278_4408996.html |url-status= |language= fr |work= [[Le Monde]] |location= Paris |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= 29 June 2020 |via= |quote= }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date= 25 June 2020 |title= Doctors for Assange Say UK May be Liable for His Torture |url= https://consortiumnews.com/2020/06/25/doctors-for-assange-say-uk-may-be-liable-for-his-torture/ |url-status= |work= Consortium News |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= 29 June 2020 |via= |quote= }}</ref> |
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==Hearings on extradition to the |
==Hearings on extradition to the U.S.== |
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On 2 May 2019, the first hearing was held in London into the |
On 2 May 2019, the first hearing was held in London into the US request for Assange's extradition. When asked by the judge whether he consented to the extradition, Assange replied "I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that has won many, many awards and protected many people".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48134901 | title=Julian Assange doesn't consent to US extradition, court hears | date=2 May 2019 | accessdate=3 May 2019 | publisher=BBC}}</ref> On 13 June, British Home Secretary [[Sajid Javid]] said he had signed the extradition order.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jun/13/julian-assange-sajid-javid-signs-us-extradition-order|title=Sajid Javid signs US extradition order for Julian Assange|first=Matthew|last=Weaver|work=The Guardian|date=13 June 2019}}</ref> |
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The extradition hearings were delayed for months due to requests for extra time from the prosecution and the defence<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-assange/extradition-hearing-for-wikileaks-assange-to-be-split-in-two-parts-idUSKBN1ZM1LN|title=Extradition hearing for WikiLeaks' Assange to be split in two parts|publisher=Reuters|date=23 January 2020}}</ref> and due the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/assange-s-extradition-hearing-delayed-by-lawyer-s-wife-s-covid-scare-20200910-p55uil.html|title=Assange's extradition hearing delayed by lawyer's wife's COVID scare|first=Latika|last=Bourke|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=10 September 2020}}</ref> |
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On 21 October 2019, Assange appeared at the court for a case management hearing. When Judge Vanessa Baraitser asked about his understanding of the proceedings Assange replied: |
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On 21 October 2019, Assange appeared at the court for a case management hearing. Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied Assange's defence lawyers' request for a three-month delay so that they could gather evidence. Government prosecutor James Lewis QC and the US opposed any delay.<ref name="canary211019" /><ref>{{cite news |title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange denied delay to extradition hearing by London judge |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-22/wikileaks-founder-assange-in-court-to-fight-extradition/11625042 |accessdate=23 October 2019 |publisher=ABC News |date=22 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=US government sent in 'hooded men' to break into offices connected to Assange, court hears |url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/us-government-sent-in-hooded-men-to-break-into-offices-connected-to-assange-court-hears |accessdate=23 October 2019 |publisher=The Morning Star |date=21 October 2019}}</ref> When the judge asked about his understanding of the proceedings Assange replied: |
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{{quote|I don't understand how this is equitable. This superpower had 10 years to prepare for this case and I can't access my writings. It's very difficult where I am to do anything but these people have unlimited resources. They are saying journalists and whistleblowers are enemies of the people. They have unfair advantages dealing with documents. They [know] the interior of my life with my psychologist. They steal my children's DNA. This is not equitable what is happening here.<ref name="canary211019">{{cite news |last1=Keeling |first1=Tracy |title=Coverage of Assange's court appearance shows what a sorry state the media is in |url=https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2019/10/21/coverage-of-assanges-court-appearance-shows-what-a-sorry-state-the-media-is-in/ |accessdate=23 October 2019 |publisher=The Canary |date=21 October 2019}}</ref>}} |
{{quote|I don't understand how this is equitable. This superpower had 10 years to prepare for this case and I can't access my writings. It's very difficult where I am to do anything but these people have unlimited resources. They are saying journalists and whistleblowers are enemies of the people. They have unfair advantages dealing with documents. They [know] the interior of my life with my psychologist. They steal my children's DNA. This is not equitable what is happening here.<ref name="canary211019">{{cite news |last1=Keeling |first1=Tracy |title=Coverage of Assange's court appearance shows what a sorry state the media is in |url=https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2019/10/21/coverage-of-assanges-court-appearance-shows-what-a-sorry-state-the-media-is-in/ |accessdate=23 October 2019 |publisher=The Canary |date=21 October 2019}}</ref>}} |
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In |
In February 2020, the court heard legal arguments. Assange's lawyers contended that he had been charged with political offences and therefore could not be extradited.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/27/julian-assanges-lawyers-us-files-were-leaked-for-political-ends|title=Julian Assange's lawyers: US files were leaked for political ends|first=Frances|last=Perraudin|publisher=The Guardian|date=28 February 2020}}</ref> |
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On 19 February |
On 19 February, Assange's barrister told the court that former [[Republican Party (United States)|US Republican]] congressman [[Dana Rohrabacher]] had visited Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in August 2017 and, on instructions from President Trump, offered a pardon on the condition that Assange "provide information and evidence about who actually gave him" the [[2016 Democratic National Committee email leak]]s. The judge ruled that the evidence was admissible in Assange's legal attempts to block extradition to the US. "It is a complete fabrication and a total lie", the [[White House Press Secretary]], [[Stephanie Grisham]], told reporters. "The president barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he's an ex-congressman. He's never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/19/donald-trump-offered-julian-assange-pardon-russia-hack-wikileaks |title=Donald Trump 'offered Julian Assange a pardon if he denied Russia link to hack' |work=The Guardian |date=19 February 2020 |accessdate=19 February 2020 |author=Bowcott, Owen and Julian Borger}}</ref> Rohrabacher had previously confirmed the 16 August meeting, saying he and Assange talked about "what might be necessary to get him out" and discussed a presidential pardon in exchange for information on the theft of [[Democratic National Committee|DNC]] emails.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-201708-htmlstory.html#rohrabacher-on-meeting-with-wikileaks-assange-we-talked-about-what-might-be-necessary-to-get-him-out |title=Rohrabacher on meeting with WikiLeaks' Assange: We talked about 'what might be necessary to get him out' |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=17 August 2017 |accessdate=20 February 2020 |author=Mai-Duc, Christine}}</ref> On 20 February 2020, Rohrabacher confirmed that conversation anew. "I spoke to Julian Assange", said Rohrabacher, "and told him if he would provide evidence about who gave WikiLeaks the emails, I would petition the president to give him a pardon." Rohrabacher added that he followed up with then [[White House Chief of Staff]], [[John F. Kelly]], who was courteous but noncommittal. Rohrabacher said he never spoke to Trump about it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/rohrabacher-confirms-he-offered-trump-pardon-to-assange-for-proof-russia-didnt-hack-dnc-email-131438007.html |title=Rohrabacher confirms he offered Trump pardon to Assange for proof Russia didn't hack DNC email |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=20 February 2020 |accessdate=20 February 2020 |author=Isikoff, Michael}}</ref> |
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==Writings and opinions== |
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Over four days starting on 24 February, the judge heard legal arguments. Assange's lawyers contended that he had been charged with political offences and therefore could not be extradited.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/27/julian-assanges-lawyers-us-files-were-leaked-for-political-ends|title=Julian Assange's lawyers: US files were leaked for political ends|first=Frances|last=Perraudin|publisher=The Guardian|date=28 February 2020}}</ref> |
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In 2010, Assange said he was a [[market libertarianism|market libertarian]] and that "WikiLeaks is designed to make capitalism more free and ethical".<ref name="forbes.com">Andy Greenberg, [https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2010/11/29/an-interview-with-wikileaks-julian-assange/ "An interview with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange,"] ''[[Forbes]]'', 29 November 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2014.</ref> |
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Assange has written a few short pieces, including "''State and terrorist conspiracies" (2006),<ref>[http://cryptome.org/0002/ja-conspiracies.pdf "State and Terrorist Conspiracies,"] 10 November 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2014. This file contains both 2006 papers; they are also available elsewhere online.</ref> "Conspiracy as governance" (2006),<ref>[http://cryptome.org/0002/ja-conspiracies.pdf "Conspiracy as Governance,"] 3 December 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2014. This file contains both 2006 papers; they are also available elsewhere online.</ref> "The hidden curse of Thomas Paine" (2008),<ref>[http://www.guernicamag.com/daily/the_hidden_curse_of_thomas_pai/ "The Hidden Curse of Thomas Paine,"] 29 April 2008. This version is at ''Guernica Magazine''. Retrieved 12 March 2014.</ref> "What's new about WikiLeaks?" (2011),''<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/digital/2011/04/civil-war-wikileaks-newspapers "What's new about WikiLeaks?"] ''[[New Statesman]]'', 14 April 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2014.</ref> and the foreword to ''[[Cypherpunks (book)|Cypherpunks]]'' (2012).<ref name="CypherpunksBook" /> ''Cypherpunks'' is primarily a transcript of the ''[[World Tomorrow]]'' episode eight, two-part interview between Assange, [[Jacob Appelbaum]], [[Andy Müller-Maguhn]], and [[Jérémie Zimmermann]]. In the foreword, Assange said, "the Internet, our greatest tool for emancipation, has been transformed into the most dangerous facilitator of totalitarianism we have ever seen".<ref name="CypherpunksBook">{{cite book |title-link=Cypherpunks (book) |title=Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet |isbn=9781944869083 |last1=Assange |first1=Julian |last2=Appelbaum |first2=Jacob |last3=Muller-Maguhn |first3=Andy |last4=Zimmermann |first4=Jérémie |date=October 2016 }}</ref> He also contributed research to [[Suelette Dreyfus]]'s ''[[Underground (Suelette Dreyfus book)|Underground]]'' (1997),<ref name="Underground" /> and received a co-writer credit for the [[Calle 13 (band)|Calle 13]] song [[Multi Viral (song)|"Multi Viral"]] (2013). |
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On 27 April 2020, Judge Baraitser ruled that due to the [[2019–20 coronavirus pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]], the second part of the case would not resume on 18 May as planned. She adjourned proceedings until 4 May,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-assange-idUSKCN22913S |title=Coronavirus forces delay in U.S. extradition case against Assange |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=27 April 2020 |accessdate=27 April 2020 |author=Holden, Michael}}</ref> when she delayed the case until September to allow it to be moved to another Crown Court with better availability. Assange did not attend the 4 May hearing due to ill health.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-04/julian-assange-postponed-extradition-hearing/12213674 |title=Julian Assange's extradition case delayed until September, WikiLeaks founder's hearing moved to another court |publisher=[[ABC Online]] (Australia) |date=4 May 2020 |accessdate=4 May 2020}}</ref> |
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Assange's book, ''When Google Met WikiLeaks'', was published by [[OR Books]] on 18 September 2014.<ref name="orbooks">{{cite web|title=When Google Met WikiLeaks|url=http://www.orbooks.com/catalog/when-google-met-wikileaks/|website=OR Books|publisher=OR Books|access-date=9 December 2014|date=18 September 2014}}</ref> The book recounts when Google CEO [[Eric Schmidt]] requested a meeting with Assange, while he was on bail in rural Norfolk, UK. Schmidt was accompanied by [[Jared Cohen]], director of [[Jigsaw (company)|Google Ideas]]; Lisa Shields, vice-president of the [[Council on Foreign Relations]]; and Scott Malcomson, the communications director for the [[International Crisis Group]]. Excerpts were published on the ''[[Newsweek]]'' website, while Assange participated in a Q&A event that was facilitated by the Reddit website and agreed to an interview with ''Vogue'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|author1=DW Gibson|title=Julian Assange Talks to Vogue.com About His New Book, When Google Met WikiLeaks|url=http://www.vogue.com/3300203/julian-assange-interview-when-google-met-wikileaks/#|website=Vogue|publisher=Condé Naste Digital|access-date=9 December 2014|date=24 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Taylor Wofford|title=WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Answers Questions About His New Book on Reddit|url=http://www.newsweek.com/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-answers-questions-about-his-new-book-reddit-270925|access-date=9 December 2014|work=Newsweek|date=16 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Julian Assange|title=Assange: Google Is Not What It Seems|url=http://www.newsweek.com/assange-google-not-what-it-seems-279447|access-date=9 December 2014|work=Newsweek|date=23 October 2014}}</ref> |
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On 1 June 2020, Judge Baraitser approved Assange's continued detention until a full administrative hearing on 29 June 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Julian Assange 'too unwell' for latest extradition court hearing |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/julian-assange-court-hearing-extradition-battle-wikileaks-a4456221.html |website=Evening Standard |language=en |date=1 June 2020}}</ref> Assange was reported to be too unwell to attend the hearing by video conference. As of the 1 June hearing, Assange's full extradition hearing was still scheduled for 7 September.<ref>{{cite web |title=Julian Assange 'too ill' to attend latest court hearing in US extradition case |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/julian-assange-court-hearing-us-extradition-health-ill-sick-a9543126.html |website=The Independent |language=en |date=1 June 2020}}</ref> |
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==Writings and opinions== |
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Assange describes himself as an advocate of information transparency and [[market libertarianism]].<ref name="forbes.com">Andy Greenberg, [https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2010/11/29/an-interview-with-wikileaks-julian-assange/ "An interview with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange,"] ''[[Forbes]]'', 29 November 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2014.</ref> He has written a few short pieces, including "''State and terrorist conspiracies" (2006),<ref>[http://cryptome.org/0002/ja-conspiracies.pdf "State and Terrorist Conspiracies,"] 10 November 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2014. This file contains both 2006 papers; they are also available elsewhere online.</ref> "Conspiracy as governance" (2006),<ref>[http://cryptome.org/0002/ja-conspiracies.pdf "Conspiracy as Governance,"] 3 December 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2014. This file contains both 2006 papers; they are also available elsewhere online.</ref> "The hidden curse of Thomas Paine" (2008),<ref>[http://www.guernicamag.com/daily/the_hidden_curse_of_thomas_pai/ "The Hidden Curse of Thomas Paine,"] 29 April 2008. This version is at ''Guernica Magazine''. Retrieved 12 March 2014.</ref> "What's new about WikiLeaks?" (2011),''<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/digital/2011/04/civil-war-wikileaks-newspapers "What's new about WikiLeaks?"] ''[[New Statesman]]'', 14 April 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2014.</ref> and the foreword to ''[[Cypherpunks (book)|Cypherpunks]]'' (2012).<ref name="CypherpunksBook" /> ''Cypherpunks'' is primarily a transcript of the ''[[World Tomorrow]]'' episode eight, two-part interview between Assange, [[Jacob Appelbaum]], [[Andy Müller-Maguhn]], and [[Jérémie Zimmermann]]. In the foreword, Assange said, "the Internet, our greatest tool for emancipation, has been transformed into the most dangerous facilitator of totalitarianism we have ever seen".<ref name="CypherpunksBook">{{cite book |title-link=Cypherpunks (book) |title=Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet |isbn=9781944869083 |last1=Assange |first1=Julian |last2=Appelbaum |first2=Jacob |last3=Muller-Maguhn |first3=Andy |last4=Zimmermann |first4=Jérémie |date=October 2016 }}</ref> He also contributed research to [[Suelette Dreyfus]]'s ''[[Underground (Suelette Dreyfus book)|Underground]]'' (1997),<ref name="Underground" /> and received a co-writer credit for the [[Calle 13 (band)|Calle 13]] song [[Multi Viral (song)|"Multi Viral"]] (2013). |
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In 2011, Assange criticised a ''[[Private Eye]]'' article for portraying WikiLeaks contributor [[Israel Shamir]] as antisemitic. According to editor [[Ian Hislop]], Assange called the article "an obvious attempt to deprive [WikiLeaks] of Jewish support and donations" and went on to point out that several journalists involved were Jewish. On 1 March 2011, Assange released a statement in which he said, |
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Assange's book, ''When Google Met WikiLeaks'', was published by [[OR Books]] on 18 September 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=When Google Met WikiLeaks|url=http://www.orbooks.com/catalog/when-google-met-wikileaks/|website=OR Books|publisher=OR Books|access-date=9 December 2014|date=18 September 2014}}</ref> The book recounts when Google CEO [[Eric Schmidt]] requested a meeting with Assange, while he was on bail in rural Norfolk, UK. Schmidt was accompanied by [[Jared Cohen]], director of [[Jigsaw (company)|Google Ideas]]; Lisa Shields, vice-president of the [[Council on Foreign Relations]]; and Scott Malcomson, the communications director for the [[International Crisis Group]]. Excerpts were published on the ''[[Newsweek]]'' website, while Assange participated in a Q&A event that was facilitated by the Reddit website and agreed to an interview with ''Vogue'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|author1=DW Gibson|title=Julian Assange Talks to Vogue.com About His New Book, When Google Met WikiLeaks|url=http://www.vogue.com/3300203/julian-assange-interview-when-google-met-wikileaks/#|website=Vogue|publisher=Condé Naste Digital|access-date=9 December 2014|date=24 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Taylor Wofford|title=WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Answers Questions About His New Book on Reddit|url=http://www.newsweek.com/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-answers-questions-about-his-new-book-reddit-270925|access-date=9 December 2014|work=Newsweek|date=16 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Julian Assange|title=Assange: Google Is Not What It Seems|url=http://www.newsweek.com/assange-google-not-what-it-seems-279447|access-date=9 December 2014|work=Newsweek|date=23 October 2014}}</ref> |
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{{quote|Hislop has distorted, invented or misremembered almost every significant claim and phrase. In particular, 'Jewish conspiracy' is completely false, in spirit and word. It is serious and upsetting. We treasure our strong Jewish support and staff, just as we treasure the support from [[Pan-Arabism|pan-Arab]] democracy activists and others who share our hope for a just world.<ref name="Quinn">{{cite news|last=Quinn|first=Ben|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/mar/01/julian-assange-jewish-conspiracy-comments|title=Julian Assange 'Jewish conspiracy' comments spark row|work=The Guardian|date=1 March 2011|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="haaretz">{{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/british-magazine-assange-says-jewish-conspiracy-trying-to-discredit-wikileaks-1.346686|title=British Magazine: Assange Says Jewish Conspiracy Trying to Discredit WikiLeaks|date=11 February 2011|newspaper=Haaretz|access-date=24 October 2016|url-access=subscription}}</ref>}} |
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[[Laura Poitras]] wrote and directed the 2016 documentary [[Risk (2016 film)|Risk]] about Assange. She said that she and Assange fell out over the scene in the film in which he called the Swedish sexual assault allegations a "radical feminist conspiracy".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/29/laura-poitras-wikileaks-film-risk-julian-assange|title=Laura Poitras on her WikiLeaks film Risk: "I knew Julian Assange was going to be furious"|first=Simon|last=Hattenstone|newspaper=The Guardian|date=29 June 2017|accessdate=24 August 2018}}</ref> |
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{{quote|Hislop has distorted, invented or misremembered almost every significant claim and phrase. In particular, 'Jewish conspiracy' is completely false, in spirit and word. It is serious and upsetting. We treasure our strong Jewish support and staff, just as we treasure the support from [[Pan-Arabism|pan-Arab]] democracy activists and others who share our hope for a just world.<ref name="Quinn">{{cite news|last=Quinn|first=Ben|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/mar/01/julian-assange-jewish-conspiracy-comments|title=Julian Assange 'Jewish conspiracy' comments spark row|work=The Guardian|date=1 March 2011|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="haaretz">{{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/british-magazine-assange-says-jewish-conspiracy-trying-to-discredit-wikileaks-1.346686|title=British Magazine: Assange Says Jewish Conspiracy Trying to Discredit WikiLeaks|date=11 February 2011|newspaper=Haaretz|access-date=24 October 2016}}</ref>}} |
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==Honours and awards== |
==Honours and awards== |
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* 2013, Global Exchange Human Rights Award, People's Choice<ref>{{cite web|title=Past Honorees |url=http://humanrightsaward.org/past-honorees/ |website=Global Exchange Human Rights Awards |access-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627195622/http://humanrightsaward.org/past-honorees/ |archivedate=27 June 2015 |df= }}</ref> |
* 2013, Global Exchange Human Rights Award, People's Choice<ref>{{cite web|title=Past Honorees |url=http://humanrightsaward.org/past-honorees/ |website=Global Exchange Human Rights Awards |access-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627195622/http://humanrightsaward.org/past-honorees/ |archivedate=27 June 2015 |df= }}</ref> |
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* 2013, [[Yoko Ono Lennon]] Courage Award for the Arts<ref>{{cite web|title=Yoko Ono Lennon Presents 2013 Courage Award to Julian Assange|url=http://imaginepeace.com/archives/19347|website=Imagine Peace|access-date=8 July 2015|date=4 February 2013}}</ref> |
* 2013, [[Yoko Ono Lennon]] Courage Award for the Arts<ref>{{cite web|title=Yoko Ono Lennon Presents 2013 Courage Award to Julian Assange|url=http://imaginepeace.com/archives/19347|website=Imagine Peace|access-date=8 July 2015|date=4 February 2013}}</ref> |
||
* 2013, New York Festivals World's Best TV & Films Silver World Medal<ref>{{cite web|title=Piece No. 1 – The Julian Assange Show with Hassan Nasrallah|url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/winners/2013/pieces.php?iid=444956&pid=1|website=New York Festivals|access-date=12 July 2015}}</ref> |
* 2013, New York Festivals World's Best TV & Films Silver World Medal<ref>{{cite web|title=Piece No. 1 – The Julian Assange Show with Hassan Nasrallah|url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/winners/2013/pieces.php?iid=444956&pid=1|website=New York Festivals|access-date=12 July 2015}}</ref>{{dl|date=September 2020}} |
||
* 2014, Union of Journalists in Kazakhstan Top Prize<ref>{{cite web|title=Kazakh Journalists' Union Honors WikiLeaks Founder|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh-journalists-union-honors-wikileaks-founder/25433039.html|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|access-date=12 July 2015|date=24 June 2014}}</ref> |
* 2014, Union of Journalists in Kazakhstan Top Prize<ref>{{cite web|title=Kazakh Journalists' Union Honors WikiLeaks Founder|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh-journalists-union-honors-wikileaks-founder/25433039.html|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|access-date=12 July 2015|date=24 June 2014}}</ref> |
||
* 2019, [[European United Left–Nordic Green Left|GUE/NGL]] Galizia prize<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6065261/julian-assange-wins-eu-journalism-award/|title=Julian Assange wins EU journalism award|first=Alan|last=Jones|work=The Canberra Times|date=17 April 2019|accessdate=23 April 2019}}</ref> |
* 2019, [[European United Left–Nordic Green Left|GUE/NGL]] Galizia prize<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6065261/julian-assange-wins-eu-journalism-award/|title=Julian Assange wins EU journalism award|first=Alan|last=Jones|work=The Canberra Times|date=17 April 2019|accessdate=23 April 2019}}</ref> |
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* ''[[Underground (Dreyfus book)|Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier]]'' (1997) |
* ''[[Underground (Dreyfus book)|Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier]]'' (1997) |
||
* ''[[Cypherpunks (book)|Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet]]'' (2012) OR Books |
* ''[[Cypherpunks (book)|Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet]]'' (2012) OR Books |
||
* ''When Google Met WikiLeaks'' (2014) OR Books<ref |
* ''When Google Met WikiLeaks'' (2014) OR Books<ref name="orbooks" /> |
||
* ''The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to The US Empire'' (2015) Verso Books<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.versobooks.com/books/1931-the-wikileaks-files | title = The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire | last = Assange | first = Julian | website = Verso Books | publisher = Verso Books | access-date = 13 January 2016 }}</ref> |
* ''The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to The US Empire'' (2015) Verso Books<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.versobooks.com/books/1931-the-wikileaks-files | title = The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire | last = Assange | first = Julian | website = Verso Books | publisher = Verso Books | access-date = 13 January 2016 }}</ref> |
||
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* [[Courage Foundation]] |
* [[Courage Foundation]] |
||
* [[List of people who took refuge in a diplomatic mission]] |
* [[List of people who took refuge in a diplomatic mission]] |
||
* [[ |
* [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]] |
||
* [[Timeline of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections (July 2016–election day)]] |
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* [[Timeline of post-election transition following Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]] |
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* [[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (January–June 2017)]] |
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* [[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2017)]] |
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* [[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (January–June 2018)]] |
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* [[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2018)]] |
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* [[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (2019–2020)]] |
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* [[Lauri Love]], who in 2018 won an appeal in the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] of England against extradition to the United States |
* [[Lauri Love]], who in 2018 won an appeal in the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] of England against extradition to the United States |
||
* [[Gary McKinnon]], whose extradition to the United States was blocked in 2012 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May |
* [[Gary McKinnon]], whose extradition to the United States was blocked in 2012 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May |
Revision as of 09:39, 24 September 2020
Julian Assange | |
---|---|
Born | Julian Paul Hawkins 3 July 1971 Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
Nationality (legal) | Australian |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1987–present |
Known for | Founding WikiLeaks |
Title | Director[1] and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks (until September 2018); publisher (since September 2018)[2] |
Criminal status | Incarcerated at HMP Belmarsh, England |
Conviction(s) | Sentenced to good behaviour bond and reparations in 1996 for hacking offences. Sentenced to 50 weeks in prison, on 1 May 2019, for breaching bail.[3] |
Political party |
|
Spouse | [citation needed] |
Partner(s) | Stella Moris-Smith Robertson (2015–present; engaged) |
Children | 4[citation needed] |
Awards | Full list |
Signature | |
Julian Paul Assange (/əˈsɑːnʒ/;[4] né Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. WikiLeaks came to international attention in 2010 when it published a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These leaks included the Baghdad airstrike Collateral Murder video (April 2010),[5][6] the Afghanistan war logs (July 2010), the Iraq war logs (October 2010), and Cablegate (November 2010).
In November 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of sexual assault.[7] Assange denied the allegations. After failing in his battle against extradition to Sweden, he breached bail and took refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London in June 2012.[8] He was granted asylum by Ecuador due to fears of political persecution and extradition to the United States.[9]
In July 2016, WikiLeaks released documents from the Democratic National Committee showing that it favoured Hillary Clinton’s campaign and had tried to undercut Bernie Sanders, leading to the resignation of party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. In 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged twelve Russian intelligence officers with computer hacking and working with WikiLeaks and other organisations to disseminate the documents. Assange denied any co-operation with Russia in relation to the leaks.[10][11][12]
On 11 April 2019, Assange's asylum was withdrawn following a series of disputes with the Ecuadorian authorities. The police were invited into the embassy, and he was arrested.[13] He was found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison.[14] The United States government unsealed an indictment against Assange, related to the leaks provided by Chelsea Manning. On 23 May 2019, the United States government further charged Assange with violating the Espionage Act of 1917. Editors from newspapers including The Washington Post and The New York Times criticised the government's decision to charge Assange under the Espionage Act.[15][16] In November, Swedish prosecutors closed their investigation, saying that the evidence had weakened over time.[17] Assange is incarcerated in HM Prison Belmarsh, reportedly in ill health.[18] On 2 May 2019, hearings began into the US government's request to extradite him.
Early life
Assange was born Julian Paul Hawkins on 3 July 1971 in Townsville, Queensland,[19][20][21] to Christine Ann Hawkins (b. 1951),[22] a visual artist,[23]: 34 and John Shipton, an anti-war activist and builder.[24][dead link] The couple separated before their son was born.[24]
When Julian was a year old, his mother married Brett Assange[25][26][27] (also known as Richard Assange),[28] an actor, with whom she ran a small theatre company and whom Julian regards as his father (choosing Assange as his surname).[29] Christine had a house in Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island, where they lived from time to time until it was destroyed by fire.[20]
Christine and Brett Assange divorced around 1979. Christine then became involved with Leif Meynell, also known as Leif Hamilton, a member of Australian cult The Family, and they had a son before breaking up in 1982.[19][30][23]: 37–38 Julian had a nomadic childhood, living in over 30 Australian towns and cities by the time he reached his mid-teens,[31][32] when he settled with his mother and half-brother in Melbourne.[25][33] Assange attended many schools, including Goolmangar Primary School in New South Wales (1979–1983)[29] and Townsville State High School in Queensland[34] as well as being schooled at home.[26]
In 1987, aged 16, Assange began hacking under the name Mendax,[26][35] Latin for "liar".[36] He and two others, known as "Trax" and "Prime Suspect", formed a hacking group they called "the International Subversives".[26] He is thought[by whom?] to have been involved in the WANK (Worms Against Nuclear Killers) hack at NASA in 1989, but he does not acknowledge this.[37][23]: 42
While in his teens, Assange married a girl named Teresa, and in 1989 they had a son, Daniel, who became a software designer.[25][38][39] The couple separated and disputed custody of their child until 1999.[26] During the time of the custody dispute, Assange's brown hair turned white.[19]
In September 1991, Assange was discovered hacking into the Melbourne master terminal of Nortel, a Canadian multinational telecommunications corporation.[26] The Australian Federal Police tapped Assange's phone line (he was using a modem), raided his home at the end of October[40][dead link] and eventually charged him in 1994 with 31 counts of hacking and related crimes.[26] In December 1996, he pleaded guilty to 24 charges (the others were dropped) and was ordered to pay reparations of A$2,100 and released on a good behaviour bond.[37][41] He received a lenient penalty due to the absence of malicious or mercenary intent and his disrupted childhood.[41][42][43][dead link][44][dead link]
Assange studied programming, mathematics and physics at Central Queensland University (1994)[45] and the University of Melbourne (2003–2006),[25][46] but did not complete a degree.[38]
In 1993, Assange gave technical advice to the Victoria Police Child Exploitation Unit that assisted in prosecutions.[47][48] In the same year, he was involved in starting one of the first public Internet service providers in Australia, Suburbia Public Access Network.[25][49] He began programming in 1994, authoring or co-authoring the TCP port scanner Strobe (1995),[50][51] patches to the open-source database PostgreSQL (1996),[52][53] the Usenet caching software NNTPCache (1996),[54] the Rubberhose deniable encryption system (1997)[55][56] (which reflected his growing interest in cryptography),[57] and Surfraw, a command-line interface for web-based search engines (2000).[58] During this period, he also moderated the AUCRYPTO forum,[57] ran Best of Security, a website "giving advice on computer security" that had 5,000 subscribers in 1996,[23]: 45 and contributed research to Suelette Dreyfus's Underground (1997), a book about Australian hackers, including the International Subversives.[35][59] In 1998, he co-founded the company Earthmen Technology.[44]
Assange stated that he registered the domain leaks.org in 1999, but "didn't do anything with it".[44] He did publicise a patent granted to the National Security Agency in August 1999, for voice-data harvesting technology: "This patent should worry people. Everyone's overseas phone calls are or may soon be tapped, transcribed and archived in the bowels of an unaccountable foreign spy agency."[57]
Founding WikiLeaks
Early publications
Assange and others established WikiLeaks in 2006. Assange became a member of the organisation's advisory board[60] and described himself as the editor-in-chief.[61] From 2007 to 2010, Assange travelled continuously on WikiLeaks business, visiting Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.[26][32][62][63][64]
WikiLeaks published internet censorship lists, leaks,[65] and classified media from anonymous sources, including revelations about drone strikes in Yemen, corruption across the Arab world,[66] extrajudicial executions by Kenyan police,[67] 2008 Tibetan unrest in China,[68] the "Petrogate" oil scandal in Peru.[69]
WikiLeaks first came to international prominence in 2008,[70] when "most of the US fourth estate" filed an amicus curiae brief—through the organisational efforts of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP)—to defend Wikileaks against a DMCA request from the Swiss bank Julius Baer, which had initially been granted.[71][dead link]
In September 2008, during the 2008 United States presidential election campaigns, the contents of a Yahoo! account belonging to Sarah Palin (the running mate of Republican presidential nominee John McCain) were posted on WikiLeaks after being hacked into by members of Anonymous.[72] After briefly appearing on a blog, the membership list of the far-right British National Party was posted to WikiLeaks on 18 November 2008.[73][failed verification]
In 2009, WikiLeaks released a report disclosing a "serious nuclear accident" at the Iranian Natanz nuclear facility.[74] According to media reports, the accident may have been the direct result of a cyberattack at Iran's nuclear program, carried out with the Stuxnet computer worm, a cyberweapon built jointly by the United States and Israel.[75]
Cypherpunks was published in November 2012.[76] In 2012, Assange hosted a television show called the World Tomorrow on RT, a network funded by the Russian government.[77]
Iraq and Afghan War logs and US diplomatic cables
The material WikiLeaks published between 2006 and 2009 attracted various degrees of international attention,[78] but after it began publishing documents supplied by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, WikiLeaks became a household name.
In April 2010, Wikileaks released the Collateral Murder video,[5] which showed United States soldiers fatally shooting 18 people from a helicopter in Iraq, including Reuters journalists Namir Noor-Eldeen and his assistant Saeed Chmagh.[6] Reuters had previously made a request to the US government for the Collateral Murder video under Freedom of Information but had been denied. Assange and others worked for a week to break the U.S. military’s encryption of the video.[79][80]
In October 2010, Wikileaks published the Iraq War logs, a collection of 391,832 United States Army field reports from the Iraq War covering the period from 2004 to 2009.[81] Assange said that he hoped the publication would "correct some of that attack on the truth that occurred before the war, during the war, and which has continued after the war".[82] Regarding his own role within Wikileaks he said "We always expect tremendous criticism. It is my role to be the lightning rod … to attract the attacks against the organisation for our work, and that is a difficult role. On the other hand. I get undue credit".[83]
Other Manning material published by Wikileaks included the Afghanistan War logs in July 2010,[84] and the Guantánamo Bay files in April 2011.[85]
Wikileaks published a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables,[86] known as the "Cablegate" files, in November 2010. Wikileaks initially worked with established Western media organisations, and later with smaller regional media organisations, while also publishing the cables upon which their reporting was based.[87][88] The files showed United States espionage against United Nations and other world leaders,[89][90][91] revealed tensions between the U.S. and its allies, and exposed corruption in countries throughout the world as documented by U.S. diplomats, helping to spark the Arab Spring.[92][93] The Cablegate and Iraq and Afghan War releases impacted diplomacy and public opinion globally, with responses varying by region.[88]
Assessments
Opinions of Assange at this time were divided. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard described his activities as "illegal",[94] but the police said he had not broken Australian law.[95] United States Vice-President Joe Biden and others called him a "terrorist".[96][97][98][99][100] Some called for his assassination or execution.[101][102][103][104][105] Support for Assange came from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,[106] Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa,[107] Russian President Dmitry Medvedev,[108][109] British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (then a backbench MP),[110] Spanish Podemos party leader Pablo Iglesias,[111] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay,[112] and Argentina's ambassador to the UK, Alicia Castro.[113] He also garnered support from many leading activists and celebrities, including Tariq Ali,[114] John Perry Barlow,[115] Daniel Ellsberg,[116][117] Mary Kostakidis,[118] John Pilger,[119][120] Ai Weiwei,[121] Michael Moore,[122] Noam Chomsky,[121] Vaughan Smith,[123][124] and Oliver Stone.[125]
The year 2010 culminated with the Sam Adams Award, which Assange accepted in October,[126][dead link] and a string of distinctions in December—the Le Monde readers' choice award for person of the year,[127][128] the Time readers' choice award for person of the year (he was also a runner-up in Time's overall person of the year award),[129][130] a deal for his autobiography worth at least US$1.3 million,[131][132][133] and selection by the Italian edition of Rolling Stone as "rockstar of the year".[134]
In February 2011, Assange won the Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal for Peace with Justice, previously awarded to only three people—Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Buddhist spiritual leader Daisaku Ikeda.[135] Two weeks later, he filed for the trademark "Julian Assange" in Europe, which was to be used for "Public speaking services; news reporter services; journalism; publication of texts other than publicity texts; education services; entertainment services".[136][137][138] Assange is a long standing member of the Australian journalists' union, of which he was made an honorary member in 2010.[139][140][141] He was awarded the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism in June 2011,[142][143] having earlier won the Amnesty International UK Media Award (New Media) in 2009.[144]
In 2011, the Walkley Foundation awarded WikiLeaks the Walkley Award for "Most outstanding contribution to journalism".[145] It commended WikiLeaks and Assange for their "brave, determined and independent stand for freedom of speech and transparency that has empowered people all over the world".
US criminal investigation
After WikiLeaks released the Manning material, United States authorities began investigating WikiLeaks and Assange personally to prosecute them under the Espionage Act of 1917.[146] In November 2010, US Attorney-General Eric Holder said there was "an active, ongoing criminal investigation" into WikiLeaks.[147] It emerged from legal documents leaked over the ensuing months that Assange and others were being investigated by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia.[148]
In December 2011, prosecutors in the Chelsea Manning case revealed the existence of chat logs between Manning and an interlocutor they claimed to be Assange;[149][150] he denied this,[151][152][153] dismissing the alleged connection as "absolute nonsense".[154] The logs were presented as evidence during Manning's court-martial in June–July 2013.[155] The prosecution argued that they showed WikiLeaks helping Manning reverse-engineer a password, but Manning said she acted alone.[156]
In 2013, US officials said that it was unlikely that the Justice Department would indict Assange for publishing classified documents because it would also have to prosecute the news organisations and writers who published classified material.[157]
Assange was being examined separately by "several government agencies" in addition to the grand jury, most notably the FBI.[158] Court documents published in May 2014 suggest that Assange was under "active and ongoing" investigation at that time.[159]
Some Snowden documents published in 2014 showed that the United States government put Assange on the "2010 Manhunting Timeline",[160] and in the same period they urged their allies to open criminal investigations into the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks.[161] In the same documents, there was a proposal by the National Security Agency (NSA) to designate WikiLeaks a "malicious foreign actor", thus increasing the surveillance against it.[160]
In January 2015, WikiLeaks issued a statement saying that three members of the organisation had received notice from Google that Google had complied with a federal warrant by a US District Court to turn over their emails and metadata on 5 April 2012.[162] In July 2015, Assange called himself a "wanted journalist" in an open letter to the French president published in Le Monde.[163] In a December 2015 court submission, the US government confirmed its "sensitive, ongoing law enforcement proceeding into the Wikileaks matter".[164]
Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Justice did not indict Assange because it was unable to find any evidence that his actions differed from those of a journalist.[165] However, after Trump took power, CIA director Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions stepped up pursuit of Assange, rejecting the Obama-era view.[166]
In April 2017, US officials were preparing to file formal charges against Assange.[167] In early 2019, individuals began to come forward with news of being questioned about Assange by prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia. Legal scholar Stephen Vladeck stated that the prosecutors, after refusing to unseal the indictment, accelerated the case in 2019 due to the impending statute of limitations on Assange's largest leaks.[168] Witnesses named in the investigation included Jacob Appelbaum, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, David House, Jason Katz and Chelsea Manning, all of whom condemned it as a form of government over-reach.[169]
Swedish sexual assault allegations
Assange visited Sweden in August 2010. During his visit, he became the subject of sexual assault allegations from two women.[170] He was questioned, the case was initially closed, and he was told he could leave the country. In November 2010, however, the case was reopened by a special prosecutor who said that she wanted to question Assange over two counts of sexual molestation, one count of unlawful coercion and one count of "lesser-degree rape" (Swedish: mindre grov våldtäkt). Assange denied the allegations and said he was happy to face questions in Britain.[171][172]
On 20 November 2010, the Swedish police issued an international arrest warrant. On 8 December 2010, Assange gave himself up to British police and attended his first extradition hearing where he was remanded in custody. On 16 December 2010, at the second hearing, he was granted bail by the High Court and released after his supporters paid £240,000 in cash and sureties. A further hearing on 24 February 2011 ruled that Assange should be extradited to Sweden. This decision was upheld by the High Court on 2 November and by the Supreme Court on 30 May the next year.[173]
After previously stating that she could not question a suspect by video link or in the Swedish embassy, prosecutor Marianne Ny wrote to the English Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2013. Her letter advised that she intended to lift the detention order and withdraw the European arrest warrant as the actions were not proportionate to the costs and seriousness of the crime. In response, the CPS tried to dissuade Ny from doing so.[174]
In March 2015, after public criticism from other Swedish law practitioners, Ny changed her mind about interrogating Assange, who had taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.[175] These interviews, which began on 14 November 2016, involved the British police, Swedish prosecutors and Ecuadorian officials, and were eventually published online.[176] By that time, the statute of limitations had expired on all three of the less serious allegations. Since the Swedish prosecutor had not interviewed Assange by 18 August 2015, the questioning pertained only to the open investigation of "lesser degree rape".[177][178][179][180]
On 19 May 2017, the Swedish authorities suspended their investigation, saying they could not expect the Ecuadorian Embassy to communicate reliably with Assange with respect to the case. Chief prosecutor Marianne Ny officially revoked his arrest warrant, but said the investigation could still be resumed if Assange visited Sweden before August 2020.[181][182][183]
Following Assange's arrest on 11 April 2019, the case was reopened under prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson.[184] On 19 November, she announced that she had discontinued her investigation, saying that the evidence was not strong enough. She added that although she was confident in the complainant, "the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed".[17]
Entering the Ecuadorian embassy
On 19 June 2012, the Ecuadorian foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, announced that Assange had applied for political asylum, that his government was considering the request, and that Assange was at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.[185][186][187][188]
Assange breached bail conditions by staying in the embassy and faced arrest if he left. Assange's supporters, including journalist Jemima Goldsmith, journalist John Pilger, and film-maker Ken Loach, forfeited £293,500 in bail and sureties.[189][dead link][190] Goldsmith said she was surprised at his asylum bid and expected him to face the Swedish allegations.[191]
The UK government wrote to Patiño stating that the police were entitled to enter the embassy and arrest Assange under UK law.[192] Patiño criticised what he said was an implied threat, stating that "such actions would be a blatant disregard of the Vienna Convention". Officers of the Metropolitan Police Service were stationed outside from June 2012 to October 2015 to arrest Assange for breaching the bail conditions and to compel him to attend court to face the Swedish extradition appeal hearing, should he leave the embassy. The police guard was withdrawn on grounds of cost in October 2015, but the police said they would still deploy "several overt and covert tactics to arrest him". The cost of the policing for the period was reported to have been £12.6 million.[193]
Wikileaks insiders stated that Assange decided to seek asylum because he felt abandoned by the Australian government. The Australian attorney-general, Nicola Roxon, had written to Assange's lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, saying that Australia would not seek to involve itself in any international exchanges about Assange's future. She suggested that if Assange was imprisoned in the US, he could apply for an international prisoner transfer to Australia. Assange's lawyers described the letter as a "declaration of abandonment".[194]
Assange and his supporters said he was not concerned about any proceedings in Sweden as such, but believed that his deportation to Sweden could lead to politically motivated deportation to the United States, where he could face severe penalties, up to the death sentence, for his activities related to WikiLeaks.[6]
On 16 August 2012, Patiño announced that Ecuador was granting Assange political asylum because of the threat represented by the United States secret investigation against him.[195][196][197][198] In its formal statement, Ecuador said that "as a consequence of Assange's determined defense to freedom of expression and freedom of press… in any given moment, a situation may come where his life, safety or personal integrity will be in danger".[199] Latin American states expressed support for Ecuador.[200][201][202][203] Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa confirmed on 18 August that Assange could stay at the embassy indefinitely,[204][205][206] and the following day Assange gave his first speech from the balcony.[207][208] An office converted into a studio apartment, equipped with a bed, telephone, sun lamp, computer, shower, treadmill, and kitchenette, became his home from then until 11 April 2019.[209][210][211]
Activities in the embassy
In July 2012, Wikileaks began publishing the Syria Files, a collection of more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, government ministries and companies. Assange said the "Syria Files" "helps us not merely to criticise one group or another, but to understand their interests, actions and thoughts. It is only through understanding this conflict that we can hope to resolve it".[212]
Assange stood for the Australian Senate in the 2013 Australian federal election for the newly formed WikiLeaks Party but failed to win a seat.[213] The party was wracked by internal dissent over its governance and electoral tactics and was deregistered due to low membership numbers in 2015.[214][215]
In 2013, Assange and others in WikiLeaks helped whistleblower Edward Snowden flee from US law enforcement. After the United States cancelled Snowden's passport, stranding him in Russia, they considered transporting him to Latin America on the presidential jet of a sympathetic Latin American leader. In order to throw the US off the scent, they spoke about the jet of the Bolivian president Evo Morales, instead of the jet they were considering.[failed verification] As a result, Morales' jet was forced to land[by whom?] in Austria in July 2013. Assange said the grounding "reveals the true nature of the relationship between Western Europe and the United States" as "a phone call from U.S. intelligence was enough to close the airspace to a booked presidential flight, which has immunity". Assange advised Snowden that he would be safest in Russia which was better able to protect its borders than Venezuela, Brazil or Ecuador.[216] In 2015, Maria Luisa Ramos, the Bolivian ambassador to Russia, accused Assange of putting Morales' life at risk.[217][216] Assange stated that he regretted what happened but that "[w]e can’t predict that other countries engage in some ... unprecedented criminal operation".[216][217]
In 2013, Assange analysed the Kissinger cables held at the US National Archives and released them in searchable form.[218]
Documents provided by Edward Snowden showed that in 2012 and 2013 the NZ government worked to establish a secret mass surveillance programme which it called "Operation Speargun". On 15 September 2014, Assange appeared via remote video link on Kim Dotcom's Moment of Truth town hall meeting held in Auckland which discussed the programme. Assange said the Snowden documents showed that he had been a target of the programme and that "Operation Speargun" represented "an extreme, bizarre, Orwellian future that is being constructed secretly in New Zealand".[219]
By 2015, WikiLeaks had published more than ten million documents and associated analyses, and was described by Assange as "a giant library of the world's most persecuted documents".[220]
In June 2015, Wikileaks began publishing confidential and secret Saudi Arabian government documents.[221]
On 3 July 2015, Paris newspaper Le Monde published an open letter from Assange to French President François Hollande in which Assange urged the French government to grant him refugee status.[163] Assange stated that one of his children lives in France with the child's mother. He also said his family had faced death threats and harassment because of his work, forcing them to change identities and reduce contact with him.[163] In response to this letter, Hollande said: "France cannot act on his request. The situation of Mr Assange does not present an immediate danger."[222] On 4 July 2015, Baltasar Garzón, head of Assange's legal team, said that Assange had sent the open letter to Hollande; but Assange had only expressed his willingness "to be hosted in France if and only if an initiative was taken by the competent authorities".[223]
In 2015, Assange began a relationship with Stella Moris-Smith Robertson, his South African-born lawyer. The couple became engaged in 2017. The relationship was first revealed by Moris-Smith Robertson in 2020, during an interview with the Mail on Sunday, because she feared for Assange’s life and wanted to speak out. She said that she and Assange had two children together, both of whom were conceived during Assange’s time in the embassy.[224][225][226]
In September 2016, Assange said he would agree to US prison in exchange for President Obama granting Chelsea Manning clemency.[227][228] Obama commuted Manning's sentence on 17 January 2017.[228] The next day, Obama saidd, "I don't pay a lot of attention to Mr. Assange's tweets, so that wasn't a consideration in this instance".[229] The same day, Assange's US-based attorney Barry Pollack said that Assange had called for Manning to be released immediately. Accordingly, Pollack maintained, the commutation—which specified Manning would be freed four months thence—did not meet Assange's conditions.[230] On 17 May 2017, Manning was released from prison.[231] Two days later, Assange emerged on the embassy's balcony and told a crowd that, despite no longer facing a Swedish sex investigation, he would remain inside the embassy to avoid extradition to the United States.[232]
On 17 October 2016, WikiLeaks announced that a "state party" had severed Assange's Internet connection at the Ecuadorian embassy.[233] The Ecuadorian government stated that it had "temporarily" severed Assange's Internet connection because of WikiLeaks' release of documents "impacting on the US election campaign".[234] In an interview published on 29 December, Assange said, "The Internet has been returned."[235]
On 25 November 2016, WikiLeaks released emails and internal documents that provided details on the US military operations in Yemen from 2009 to March 2015.[236][237]
In December 2016, Wikileaks published emails from the Turkish government in response to Erdoğan's post-coup purges in Turkey. The emails covered the period from 2010 to July 2016. In response, Turkey blocked access to the Wikileaks site.[238][239][240]
2016 U.S. presidential election
During the 2016 US Democratic Party presidential primaries, WikiLeaks hosted emails sent or received by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State. The emails had been released by the US State Department under a Freedom of information request in February 2016.[241] WikiLeaks also created a search engine for the emails.[242] The emails were a major point of discussion during the presidential election.[243]
In February 2016, Assange wrote: "I have had years of experience in dealing with Hillary Clinton and have read thousands of her cables. Hillary lacks judgment and will push the United States into endless, stupid wars which spread terrorism. ... she certainly should not become president of the United States."[244] On 25 July, following the Republican National Convention, Assange said that choosing between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is like choosing between cholera or gonorrhea. "Personally, I would prefer neither."[245][246][247] In an Election Day statement, Assange criticised both Clinton and Trump, saying that "The Democratic and Republican candidates have both expressed hostility towards whistleblowers."[248]
On 22 July 2016, WikiLeaks released emails and documents from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) showing that the DNC favoured Clinton’s campaign and tried to undercut Bernie Sanders. As a result the party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned.[249][250] The New York Times reported that Assange accused Clinton of pushing for his indictment and that he had timed the release to coincide with the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[251] In an interview, Assange suggested that he saw Clinton as a personal foe.[245][252] On 7 October, WikiLeaks released a second batch of documents with over 2,000 emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.[253]
Cybersecurity experts attributed the attack to the Russian government.[10] The Central Intelligence Agency, together with several other agencies, concluded that Russian intelligence agencies hacked the DNC servers, as well as Podesta's email account, and provided the information to WikiLeaks to bolster Trump's election campaign.[254] As a result of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, 12 Russian GRU military intelligence agents were indicted on 13 July 2018 for the attack on the DNC mail-server. According to the Mueller report, this group shared these mails using the pseudonym Guccifer 2.0 with WikiLeaks and other entities.[255] The investigation also unearthed communications between Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, in which they coordinated the release of the material.[256]
In interviews, Assange repeatedly denied that the Russian government was the source of the DNC and Podesta emails,[257][258][12] and accused the Clinton campaign of "a kind of neo-McCarthy hysteria" about Russian involvement.[11] On the eve of the election, Assange addressed the criticism he had received for publishing Clinton material, saying that WikiLeaks publishes "material given to us if it is of political, diplomatic, historical or ethical importance and which has not been published elsewhere," that it had never received any information on Trump, Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson's campaign.[259][260] Political scientists Matthew Baum and Phil Gussin, wrote that WikiLeaks may have released more emails whenever Clinton's lead expanded in the polls.[261]
In a July 2016 interview, Assange implied that DNC staffer Seth Rich was the source of the DNC emails and that Rich had been killed as a result. WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward for information about his murder.[262] Assange's comments were highlighted by Fox News, The Washington Times and conspiracy website InfoWars[263][262] and set off a spike in attention to the murder.[264] Mueller's report said that Assange "implied falsely" that Rich was the source to obscure the fact that Russia was the source.[265][266][267] According to Mueller, Assange knew Rich could not have been the source, because the emails were transferred to him four days after Rich's death and he continued corresponding with the Russian hackers after his death.[265]
In April 2018, the DNC sued Assange, accusing WikiLeaks and Russian agents of a "brazen attack on American democracy".[268] The Committee to Protect Journalists said that the lawsuit raised several important press freedom questions.[269] The suit was dismissed with prejudice in July 2019. Judge John Koeltl said that Assange and Wikileaks "did not participate in any wrongdoing in obtaining the materials in the first place" and were therefore within the law in publishing the information.[270]
Later years in the embassy
A 2017 article in Foreign Policy asserted that in mid-2016 WikiLeaks turned down leaks on the Russian government, focussing instead on hacks relating to the US presidential election.[271] This was disputed by Wikileaks which said that as far as it could recall the material was "already public".[271] The cache had previously been reported on by the BBC and other news outlets to reveal details about Russian military and intelligence involvement in Ukraine.[271] The Foreign Policy article also argued that Assange's position on Russia had evolved. Assange's relationship with Russia "started as adversarial" as in he had in October 2010 "teased a massive dump of documents that would expose wrongdoing in the Kremlin, teaming up with a Russian news site for the rollout".[271] However, Assange by 2012 had his own show on the RT network, and in 2016 he publicly criticised Novaya Gazeta's coverage of the Panama Papers, suggesting that "reporters had 'cherry-picked' the documents to publish for optimal 'Putin bashing, North Korea bashing, sanctions bashing, etc.' while giving Western figures a pass".[271] Russian investigative reporter Roman Shleynov said in an interview with The New York Times that it was a surprise for him to hear that "Mr Assange was repeating the same excuse that our officials, even back in Soviet days, used to say – that it's all some conspiracy from abroad."[271]
In March 2017, Wikileaks began releasing the largest leak of CIA documents in history, codenamed Vault 7. The documents included details of the CIA's hacking capabilities and software tools used to break into smartphones, computers and other Internet-connected devices.[272] In April 2017, then CIA director Mike Pompeo, in a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called WikiLeaks "a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia".[273][274] Assange accused the CIA of trying to "subvert" his First Amendment rights. He said that "History shows the danger of allowing the CIA or any intelligence agency, whose very modus operandi includes misdirection and lying, to be the sole arbiter of what is true or what is prudent. Otherwise, every day might see a repeat of the many foolish CIA actions which have led to death, displacement, dictatorship and terrorism."[275]
On 6 June 2017, Assange tweeted his support for NSA leaker Reality Winner,[276] offering a $10,000 reward for information about a reporter for The Intercept who had allegedly helped the US government to identify Winner as the leaker.[277]
In August 2017, in the midst of the Qatar diplomatic crisis, Saudi-owned newspaper Al Arabiya, based in Dubai, said that Assange "has seven cables about Qatar and only five were published" after Qatar negotiated with WikiLeaks. Assange responded that "The Al Arabiya network (HQ in UAE) has been publishing increasingly absurd fabrications as the UAE v Qatar dispute continues."[278]
In September 2017, Assange released "Spy Files Russia," revealing "how a St. Petersburg-based technology company called Peter-Service helped Russian state entities gather detailed data on Russian cellphone users, part of a national system of online surveillance called System for Operative Investigative Activities (SORM)." According to Moscow based journalist Fred Weir, "experts say it casts a timely spotlight on the vast surveillance operations mounted by Russian security services."[279] The unexpected release of the material during the height of the Special Counsel investigation into the relationship between Wikileaks and Russia has drawn some criticism for not revealing anything groundbreaking and therefore looking more like an "approved release direct from the Russian government" as an attempt to detract from the investigation.[280][281]
Special counsel Robert Mueller's team had been investigating a meeting between former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and President Lenín Moreno in Quito in 2017. Moreno talked with Manafort about removing Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and his extradition to the United States.[282]
On 28 March 2018, Ecuador cut Assange's Internet connection at its London embassy "to prevent any potential harm". Officials said that Assange's recent social media posts denouncing the arrest of Catalonian separatist leader Carles Puigdemont "put at risk" Ecuador's relations with European nations. Assange then went silent on social media.[283]
In May 2018, a team of Guardian journalists, including Luke Harding, reported that over a five-year span Ecuador had spent at least $5 million (£3.7m) through a secret intelligence budget to protect Assange at its London embassy, "employing an international security company and undercover agents to monitor his visitors, embassy staff and even the British police". Visitors included "individuals linked to the Kremlin". Ecuadorian officials had reportedly also devised plans to help Assange escape should British authorities use force to enter the embassy and seize him. The Guardian also reported that documents and "a source who wished to remain anonymous" had indicated that, by 2014, Assange had "compromised" the embassy's communications system and arranged his satellite Internet hookup. "By penetrating the embassy's firewall", Assange was allegedly able to "access and intercept the official and personal communications of staff". According to The Guardian, this claim was denied by WikiLeaks as an "anonymous libel aligned with the current UK–US government onslaught against Mr Assange".[284]
On 21 July 2018, Glenn Greenwald reported that the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry was finalising an agreement to release Assange into the custody of the British government.[285] In a press conference the following week, President Lenín Moreno confirmed that he wanted Assange out of the embassy but also "for his life not to be in danger".[286] This prompted wide speculation that Moreno aimed to strengthen Ecuador's relations with the United States and assist their extradition efforts.[287]
In September 2018, Reuters reported that Ecuador had, in December 2017, granted Assange a "special designation" diplomatic post in Russia – and the cover to leave the embassy and England – but the British Foreign Office did not recognise diplomatic immunity for Assange and the effort was dropped.[288][289]
On 14 October 2018, ITV News reported that Assange's communications had been partially restored following a meeting between two senior UN officials and Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno.[290]
On 16 October 2018, congressmen from the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs wrote an open letter to President Moreno which described Assange as a dangerous criminal and stated that progress between the US and Ecuador in the areas of economic co-operation, counternarcotics assistance and the return of a USAID mission to Ecuador depended on Assange being "handed over to the proper authorities".[291][292]
On 19 October 2018, BBC News reported that Assange was starting legal action against the government of Ecuador, accusing it of violating his "fundamental rights and freedoms".[293] Later that month, an Ecuadorian judge ruled against him, saying that a requirement for Assange to pay for his Internet use and clean up after his cat did not violate his right to asylum.[294]
In November 2018, Pamela Anderson, a close friend and regular visitor of Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy, gave an interview with 60 Minutes in Australia in which she asked the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, to "defend your friend, and get Julian his passport back, and take him back to Australia and be proud of him".[295] Morrison rejected the request but his response was described as "smutty" and "lewd" by Anderson who wrote in an open letter to Morrison that "[y]ou trivialised and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion." She further advised Morrison that "[r]ather than making lewd suggestions about me, perhaps you should instead think about what you are going to say to millions of Australians when one of their own is marched in an orange jumpsuit to Guantanamo Bay – for publishing the truth. You can prevent this."[296]
In December 2018, President Moreno reached an agreement to have Assange leave the embassy in what he called "near liberty". According to a radio interview by Moreno, British sources told him that Assange would be free to live in the United Kingdom without extradition after serving a prison sentence of at most six months. The formal offer was less explicit, simply stating that he would not be extradited to a country with the death penalty. Assange's lawyers declined, citing a need for further protection.[297]
In February 2019, the parliament of Geneva passed a motion demanding that the Swiss government extend asylum to Assange. The move was proposed by the Swiss People's Party and supported by the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland.[298] In the same month, it was revealed that Assange was issued with a new Australian passport in September 2018. His previous passport had expired several years ago.[299]
In January 2020, the Catalan Dignity Commission awarded Assange its 2019 Dignity Prize for what it described as Assange's role in supporting the Catalan people during the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.[300] Assange's statements during the referendum led to objections from the Spanish government, and according to The Guardian increased tension between Assange and the Ecuadorian government.[301][300]
In 2015, La Repubblica lodged Freedom of Information requests in Australia, England, the United States and Sweden, seeking information about Assange. It said it was trying to discover whether US authorities told their UK counterparts in 2010 that they intended to extradite Assange and also whether the Swedish investigation was used as a way of trying to extradite him to the US. La Repubblica said that its FOI requests had been hindered and delayed in all jurisdictions. However, it said it was able to obtain evidence of the UK's role via the English Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in creating the "legal and diplomatic quagmire" which prevented Assange from leaving the Ecuadorian embassy. La Repubblica sued the CPS in 2017 to obtain further information but its case was rejected with the judge saying "the need for the British authorities to protect the confidentiality of the extradition process outweighs the public interest of the press to know".[302] A further appeal was rejected in September 2019.[302][303]
International courts and the United Nations
The Ecuadorian government of Rafael Correa requested an advisory opinion from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the issue of "the Institution of Asylum and its Recognition as a Human Right in the Inter-American System," and the court issued its advisory opinion in May 2018, upholding the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits signatories of the American Convention on Human Rights from deporting foreign individuals when such a deportation would likely lead to their persecution.[304]
On 5 February 2016, the UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Assange had been subject to arbitrary detention by the UK and Swedish Governments since 7 December 2010, including his time in prison, on conditional bail and in the Ecuadorian embassy. According to the group, Assange should be allowed to walk free and be given compensation.[305][306] The UK and Swedish governments rejected the claim.[307] UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Philip Hammond, said the claim was "ridiculous" and that the group was "made up of lay people", and called Assange a "fugitive from justice" who "can come out any time he chooses".[308] UK and Swedish prosecutors called the group's claims irrelevant.[309][310] The UK said it would arrest Assange should he leave the embassy.[311] Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association, stated that the finding is "not binding on British law".[312] Noah Feldman, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, described the UN Working Group's conclusion as astonishing, summarising the conclusion as "Assange might be charged with a crime in the US. Ecuador thinks charging him with violating national security law would amount to 'political persecution' or worse. Therefore Sweden must give up on its claims to try him for rape, and Britain must ignore the Swedes' arrest warrant and let him leave the country."[313]
The Working Group again urged the UK to let Assange leave the embassy freely. In a statement on 21 December 2018, the organisation said that the "Swedish investigations have been closed for over 18 months now, and the only ground remaining for Mr Assange's continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offence that cannot post-facto justify the more than six years' confinement that he has been subjected to".[314]
In 2019, Assange submitted a complaint to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and accused the Ecuadorian embassy of monitoring his daily activities and restricting his visitors. The complaint requested the Ecuadorian government to "ease the conditions that it had imposed on his residence" at the embassy. Furthermore, the complaint urged the commission to forbid the embassy from extraditing him to the US. Eventually, the commission rejected his complaint.[315]
Arrest in the embassy
On 2 April 2019, Ecuador's president Lenín Moreno stated that Assange had violated the terms of his asylum, after photos surfaced on the internet linking Moreno to a corruption scandal.[316][317] WikiLeaks denied that it had acquired any of the published material, and stated that it merely reported on a corruption investigation against Moreno by Ecuador's legislature.[317] WikiLeaks subsequently wrote on Twitter that according to a source within the Ecuadorian government, an agreement had been reached to expel Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy and place him in the custody of UK police.[318][319] The source stated that the expulsion from the embassy would occur in retaliation against WikiLeaks' tweet noting corruption charges against Moreno.[318] On 5 April, Ecuador's Foreign Ministry denied the existence of any planned expulsion.[318][319] According to critics of Moreno, such as former Ecuadorian foreign minister Guillaume Long, the revoking of Assange's asylum was connected to an upcoming decision by the International Monetary Fund to grant Ecuador a $4.2 billion loan.[320][321][322][323]
On 11 April 2019, the Metropolitan Police were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy and arrested Assange in connection with his failure to surrender to the court in June 2012 for extradition to Sweden.[324] Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno stated that Ecuador withdrew Assange's asylum after he repeatedly violated international conventions regarding domestic interference.[325][326] Moreno referred to Assange as a "spoiled brat" and "miserable hacker".[327] British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt thanked the Ecuadorean president, Lenin Moreno, for co-operation, and the then British prime minister, Theresa May, said that "no one is above the law".[328] The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said that Assange is "not going to be given special treatment ... It has got nothing to do with [Australia], it is a matter for the US".[329]
On the afternoon of the day of his arrest, Assange was charged with breaching the Bail Act 1976 and was found guilty after a short hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.[330] Judge Michael Snow said Assange was "a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interest" and he had "not come close to establishing reasonable excuse".[331]
Assange was remanded to HM Prison Belmarsh, and on 1 May 2019 he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to 50 weeks imprisonment.[14] The judge said he would be released after serving half of his sentence, subject to other proceedings and conditioned upon committing no further offences.[332] The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a statement through the website of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights that the verdict contravened "principles of necessity and proportionality" for what it considered a "minor violation".[333][334] Assange appealed his sentence, but dropped his appeal in July.[335]
Surveillance of Assange in the embassy
On 10 April 2019, WikiLeaks said it had uncovered an extensive surveillance operation against Assange from within the Ecuadorian embassy, asserting that videotapes of Assange taken at the embassy constituted an invasion of privacy. WikiLeaks said that "material including video, audio, copies of private legal documents and a medical report" had surfaced in Spain and that unnamed individuals in Madrid had made an extortion attempt.[336][337]
On 26 September 2019, the Spanish newspaper El País reported that the Spanish defence and security company Undercover Global S.L. (UC Global) had spied on Assange for the CIA during his time in the Ecuadorian embassy. UC Global had been contracted to protect the embassy during this time. According to the report UC Global's owner David Morales had provided the CIA with audio and video of meetings Assange held with his lawyers and colleagues. Morales also arranged for the US to have direct access to the stream from video cameras installed in the embassy at the beginning of December 2017. The evidence is part of a secret investigation by Spain's High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, into Morales and his relationship with US intelligence. The investigation was precipitated by a complaint by Assange that accused UC Global of violating his privacy and client-attorney privileges as well as committing misappropriation, bribery and money laundering.[338]
Morales was arrested in September on charges involving violations of privacy and client-attorney privileges, as well as misappropriation, bribery, money laundering and criminal possession of weapons. He was released on bail. On 25 September, Spanish Judge José de la Mata sent British authorities a European Investigation Order (EIO) asking for permission to question Assange by videoconference as a witness in the case against Morales. The United Kingdom Central Authority (UKCA), which is in charge of processing and responding to EIOs in the UK, provisionally denied De la Mata's request to question Assange, raised a number of objections to the request, and asked for more details. De la Mata responded to UKCA's objections on 14 October by stating that Assange was the victim who had filed the complaint and that unlawful disclosure of secrets and bribery are also crimes in the UK. He said that the crimes were partially committed on Spanish territory because the microphones used to spy on Assange were bought in Spain, and the information obtained was sent and uploaded to servers at UC Global S. L.'s headquarters in Spain.[339]
Spanish judicial bodies were upset at having their EIO request denied by UKCA and believed the British justice system is concerned by the effect the Spanish case may have on the process to extradite Assange to the US.[339]
In a November 2019 article, Stefania Maurizi said she had access to some of the videos, audios and photos from the embassy showing a medical examination of Assange, a meeting between Ecuadorian ambassador Carlos Abad Ortiz and his staff, a meeting between Assange, Glenn Greenwald and David Miranda and lunch between Assange and British rapper M.I.A. Microphones had been placed in the women's toilets to capture meetings between Assange and his lawyers. Phones belonging to some of the embassy's visitors were compromised. Spanish lawyer Aitor Martinez, who is part of Assange's legal team, said videos were taken of meetings between Assange and his legal defence team. Maurizi concluded that, based on statements from former employees of UC Global, internal UC Global emails and the type of information collected, it was clear that the surveillance was conducted on behalf of the US government and the information gathered would be used by the US to assist in its case for extraditing Assange.[340]
In late November 2019, Britain agreed to allow Judge José de la Mata to interview Assange at Westminster Magistrates' Court via video link on 20 December.[341] According to his lawyer, Assange testified that he was unaware that cameras installed by Undercover Global were also capturing audio and suggested the surveillance likely targeted his legal team.[342]
Indictment in the United States
In 2012 and 2013, US officials indicated that Assange was not named in a sealed indictment.[343][344] On 6 March 2018, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a sealed indictment against Assange.[345] In November 2018, US prosecutors accidentally revealed the indictment.[346][347][348][349][350]
In February 2019, Chelsea Manning received a subpoena to appear before a grand jury in Virginia in the case.[351] When Manning condemned the secrecy of the hearings and refused to testify, she was jailed for contempt of court on 8 March 2019.[352][353][354][355] On 16 May 2019, Manning refused to testify before a new grand jury investigating Assange, stating that she "believe[d] this grand jury seeks to undermine the integrity of public discourse with the aim of punishing those who expose any serious, ongoing, and systemic abuses of power by this government". She was returned to jail for the 18-month term of the grand jury with financial penalties.[356]
On 11 April 2019, the day of Assange's arrest in London, the indictment against him was unsealed.[357] He was charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion (i.e. hacking into a government computer), a relatively minor crime that carries a maximum 5-year sentence if found guilty.[358][359] The charges stem from the allegation that Assange attempted and failed to crack a password hash so that Chelsea Manning could use a different username to download classified documents and avoid detection.[165] This information had been known since 2011 and was a component of Manning's trial; the indictment did not reveal any new information about Assange.[165][360]
On 23 May 2019, Assange was indicted on 17 new charges relating to the Espionage Act of 1917 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.[361] These charges carry a maximum sentence of 170 years in prison.[362] The Obama administration had debated charging Assange under the Espionage Act but decided against it out of fear that it would have a negative effect on investigative journalism and could be unconstitutional. The new charges relate to obtaining and publishing the secret documents. Most of these charges relate to obtaining the secret documents. The three charges related to publication concern documents which revealed the names of sources in dangerous places putting them "at a grave and imminent risk" of harm or detention. The New York Times commented that it and other news organisations obtained the same documents as WikiLeaks also without government authorisation. It also said it is not clear how WikiLeaks's publications are legally different from other publications of classified information.[363][364]
Most cases brought under the Espionage Act have been against government employees who accessed sensitive information and leaked it to journalists and others.[365] Prosecuting people for acts related to receiving and publishing information has not previously been tested in court.[363] In 1975, the Justice Department decided after consideration not to charge journalist Seymour Hersh for reporting on US surveillance of the Soviet Union.[365] Two lobbyists for a pro-Israel group were charged in 2005 with receiving and sharing classified information about American policy toward Iran. The charges however did not relate to the publication of the documents and the case was dropped in 2009.[363][365]
The Associated Press reported that the indictment raised concerns about media freedom, as Assange's solicitation and publication of classified information is a routine job journalists perform.[366] Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, stated that what Assange is accused of doing is factually different from but legally similar to what professional journalists do.[367] Suzanne Nossel of PEN America said it was immaterial if Assange was a journalist or publisher and pointed instead to First Amendment concerns.[368]
While some US politicians supported the arrest and indictment of Julian Assange, several non-government organisations for press freedom, condemned it. Mark Warner, vice-chairman of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said that Assange was "a dedicated accomplice in efforts to undermine American security".[369] Several jurists, politicians, associations, academics and campaigners viewed the arrest of Assange as an attack on freedom of the press and international law.[370][371][372] The Reporters Without Borders said Assange's arrest would "set a dangerous precedent for journalists, whistle-blowers, and other journalistic sources that the US may wish to pursue in the future".[373] Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote that Assange's prosecution for publishing leaked documents is "a major threat to global media freedom".[374] United Nations human rights expert Agnes Callamard said the indictment exposed him to the risk of serious human rights violations.[375] Ben Wizner from the American Civil Liberties Union said that prosecuting Assange "for violating US secrecy laws would set an especially dangerous precedent for US journalists, who routinely violate foreign secrecy laws to deliver information vital to the public's interest".[376][377]
Imprisonment in the UK
Since his arrest at the embassy on 11 April 2019, Assange has been incarcerated in HM Prison Belmarsh in London.[14]
After examining Assange on 9 May 2019, the United Nations special rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Nils Melzer, concluded that "in addition to physical ailments, Mr Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma."[378] The British government said it supported the important work of the rapporteur's mandate but disagreed with some of his observations.[379] In a later interview, Melzer criticised the "secretive grand jury indictment in the United States", the "abusive manner in which Swedish prosecutors disseminated, re-cycled and perpetuated their 'preliminary investigation' into alleged sexual offences", the "termination by Ecuador of Mr Assange's asylum status and citizenship without any form of due process", and the "overt bias against Mr Assange being shown by British judges since his arrest". He said the United States, UK, Sweden and Ecuador were trying to make an example of Assange. He also accused journalists of "spreading abusive and deliberately distorted narratives".[380] Shortly after Melzer's visit, Assange was transferred to the prison's health care unit.[381]
On 13 September, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange would not be released on 22 September when his prison term ended, because he was a flight risk and his lawyer had not applied for bail.[382] She said when his sentence came to an end, his status would change from a serving prisoner to a person facing extradition.[382]
On 1 November 2019, Melzer said that Assange's health had continued to deteriorate and his life was now at risk.[383][381] He said that the UK government had not acted on the issue.[383][381]
On 22 November, in an open letter to the UK Home Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary, signed by a group of more than 60 doctors named Doctors for Assange, said Assange's health was declining to an extent that he could die in prison.[384] Subsequent attempts by the group, made to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Robert Buckland,[385][386] and to Marise Payne, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, also yielded no result.[387]
On 30 December 2019, Melzer accused the UK government of torturing Julian Assange. He said Assange's "continued exposure to severe mental and emotional suffering ... clearly amounts to psychological torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."[388][389]
On 17 February 2020, the medical journal The Lancet published an open letter from Doctors for Assange, now comprising 117 medical practitioners from 18 countries,[390] in which they said Assange was in a "dire state of health due to the effects of prolonged psychological torture in both the Ecuadorian embassy and Belmarsh prison" which could lead to his death and that his "politically motivated medical neglect ... sets a dangerous precedent".[391][dead link][392][393] On the same day, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media freedoms group posted a separate petition which accused the Trump administration of acting in "retaliation for (Assange's) facilitating major revelations in the international media about the way the United States conducted its wars". The petition said, Assange's publications "were clearly in the public interest and not espionage".[394][395] Australian MPs Andrew Wilkie and George Christensen visited Assange and pressed the UK and Australian governments to intervene to stop him being extradited.[396][397]
On 10 March 2020, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, IBAHRI, condemned the mistreatment of Julian Assange in the US extradition trial.[398]
On 25 March 2020, Assange was denied bail after Judge Baraitser rejected his lawyers' argument that his imprisonment would put him at high risk of contracting COVID-19.[399] She said Assange's past conduct showed how far he was willing to go to avoid extradition.[399]
On 25 June 2020, Doctors for Assange, now 216 medical practitioners from 33 countries, published yet another letter in The Lancet "reiterating their demand to end the torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange",[400] in which they state their "professional and ethical duty to speak out against, report, and stop torture."[401][402]
Hearings on extradition to the U.S.
On 2 May 2019, the first hearing was held in London into the US request for Assange's extradition. When asked by the judge whether he consented to the extradition, Assange replied "I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that has won many, many awards and protected many people".[403] On 13 June, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said he had signed the extradition order.[404]
The extradition hearings were delayed for months due to requests for extra time from the prosecution and the defence[405] and due the COVID-19 pandemic.[406]
On 21 October 2019, Assange appeared at the court for a case management hearing. When Judge Vanessa Baraitser asked about his understanding of the proceedings Assange replied:
I don't understand how this is equitable. This superpower had 10 years to prepare for this case and I can't access my writings. It's very difficult where I am to do anything but these people have unlimited resources. They are saying journalists and whistleblowers are enemies of the people. They have unfair advantages dealing with documents. They [know] the interior of my life with my psychologist. They steal my children's DNA. This is not equitable what is happening here.[407]
In February 2020, the court heard legal arguments. Assange's lawyers contended that he had been charged with political offences and therefore could not be extradited.[408]
On 19 February, Assange's barrister told the court that former US Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher had visited Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in August 2017 and, on instructions from President Trump, offered a pardon on the condition that Assange "provide information and evidence about who actually gave him" the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leaks. The judge ruled that the evidence was admissible in Assange's legal attempts to block extradition to the US. "It is a complete fabrication and a total lie", the White House Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, told reporters. "The president barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he's an ex-congressman. He's never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject."[409] Rohrabacher had previously confirmed the 16 August meeting, saying he and Assange talked about "what might be necessary to get him out" and discussed a presidential pardon in exchange for information on the theft of DNC emails.[410] On 20 February 2020, Rohrabacher confirmed that conversation anew. "I spoke to Julian Assange", said Rohrabacher, "and told him if he would provide evidence about who gave WikiLeaks the emails, I would petition the president to give him a pardon." Rohrabacher added that he followed up with then White House Chief of Staff, John F. Kelly, who was courteous but noncommittal. Rohrabacher said he never spoke to Trump about it.[411]
Writings and opinions
In 2010, Assange said he was a market libertarian and that "WikiLeaks is designed to make capitalism more free and ethical".[412]
Assange has written a few short pieces, including "State and terrorist conspiracies" (2006),[413] "Conspiracy as governance" (2006),[414] "The hidden curse of Thomas Paine" (2008),[415] "What's new about WikiLeaks?" (2011),[416] and the foreword to Cypherpunks (2012).[76] Cypherpunks is primarily a transcript of the World Tomorrow episode eight, two-part interview between Assange, Jacob Appelbaum, Andy Müller-Maguhn, and Jérémie Zimmermann. In the foreword, Assange said, "the Internet, our greatest tool for emancipation, has been transformed into the most dangerous facilitator of totalitarianism we have ever seen".[76] He also contributed research to Suelette Dreyfus's Underground (1997),[35] and received a co-writer credit for the Calle 13 song "Multi Viral" (2013).
Assange's book, When Google Met WikiLeaks, was published by OR Books on 18 September 2014.[417] The book recounts when Google CEO Eric Schmidt requested a meeting with Assange, while he was on bail in rural Norfolk, UK. Schmidt was accompanied by Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas; Lisa Shields, vice-president of the Council on Foreign Relations; and Scott Malcomson, the communications director for the International Crisis Group. Excerpts were published on the Newsweek website, while Assange participated in a Q&A event that was facilitated by the Reddit website and agreed to an interview with Vogue magazine.[418][419][420]
In 2011, Assange criticised a Private Eye article for portraying WikiLeaks contributor Israel Shamir as antisemitic. According to editor Ian Hislop, Assange called the article "an obvious attempt to deprive [WikiLeaks] of Jewish support and donations" and went on to point out that several journalists involved were Jewish. On 1 March 2011, Assange released a statement in which he said,
Hislop has distorted, invented or misremembered almost every significant claim and phrase. In particular, 'Jewish conspiracy' is completely false, in spirit and word. It is serious and upsetting. We treasure our strong Jewish support and staff, just as we treasure the support from pan-Arab democracy activists and others who share our hope for a just world.[421][422]
Laura Poitras wrote and directed the 2016 documentary Risk about Assange. She said that she and Assange fell out over the scene in the film in which he called the Swedish sexual assault allegations a "radical feminist conspiracy".[423]
Honours and awards
- 2008, The Economist New Media Award[424]
- 2009, Amnesty International UK Media Awards[425]
- 2010, Time Person of the Year, Reader's Choice[426]
- 2010, Sam Adams Award[427]
- 2010, Le Monde Readers' Choice Award for Person of the Year[428]
- 2011, Free Dacia Award[429]
- 2011, Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal[430]
- 2011, Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism[431]
- 2011, Voltaire Award for Free Speech[432]
- 2012, Big Brother Award Italy 2012 "Hero of Privacy"[433]
- 2013, Global Exchange Human Rights Award, People's Choice[434]
- 2013, Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award for the Arts[435]
- 2013, New York Festivals World's Best TV & Films Silver World Medal[436][dead link]
- 2014, Union of Journalists in Kazakhstan Top Prize[437]
- 2019, GUE/NGL Galizia prize[438]
- 2019, Gavin MacFadyen award[439]
- 2019, Catalan Dignity Prize.[300]
- 2020, Stuttgart Peace Prize.[440]
Works
Bibliography
- Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier (1997)
- Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet (2012) OR Books
- When Google Met WikiLeaks (2014) OR Books[417]
- The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to The US Empire (2015) Verso Books[441]
Filmography
Title | Year |
---|---|
Collateral Murder | 2010 |
The World Tomorrow | 2012 (host) |
Mediastan | 2013 |
The Engineer | 2013[442] |
- As himself
- The War You Don't See (2010)[443]
- The Simpsons (2012) (cameo; episode "At Long Last Leave")[444]
- Citizenfour (2014)[445]
- The Yes Men Are Revolting (2014)[446]
- Terminal F/Chasing Edward Snowden (2015)[447]
- Asylum (2016)[448]
- Risk (2016)[449]
- Architects of Denial (2017)[450]
- The New Radical (2017)[451]
See also
- Chaos Computer Club
- Courage Foundation
- List of people who took refuge in a diplomatic mission
- Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- Lauri Love, who in 2018 won an appeal in the High Court of England against extradition to the United States
- Gary McKinnon, whose extradition to the United States was blocked in 2012 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May
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Je suis un journaliste poursuivi et menacé de mort par les autorités états-uniennes du fait de mes activités professionnelles.
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{{cite web}}
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{{cite web}}
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Further reading
Books
- Nick Cohen, You Can't Read this Book: Censorship in an Age of Freedom (2012).
- Fowler, Andrew (11 April 2011). The Most Dangerous Man in the World: The Explosive True Story of Julian Assange and the Lies, Cover-ups and Conspiracies He Exposed. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 9781616084899.
Essays
- Robert Manne, "The cypherpunk revolutionary: Julian Assange," The Monthly, March 2011. Reprinted in Robert Manne, Making Trouble: Essays Against the New Australian Complacency (Melbourne: Black Inc. Publishing, 2011).
- Andrew O'Hagan, "Ghosting: Julian Assange," London Review of Books, vol. 36, no. 5 (6 March 2014).
Films
- Underground: The Julian Assange Story (2012), Australian TV drama that premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.
- Julian (2012), Australian short film about nine-year-old Julian Assange. The film won several awards and prizes.
- The Fifth Estate (2013), a thriller that Assange claimed was a 'serious propaganda attack' on WikiLeaks and its staff.
- Mediastan (2013), documentary produced by Assange; to challenge that of The Fifth Estate.
- We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks (2013), American documentary.
- Risk (2016), American documentary.
- Hacking Justice (2017), documentary.