Julian Assange, an Australian journalist and activist, founded WikiLeaks in 2006.
WikiLeaks is a non-profit organisation that publishes classified, censored, or otherwise restricted information.
Julian and his site gained global notoriety in 2010 when it released a massive trove of US military and diplomatic documents, including the ‘Collateral Murder’ video, which showed a US helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed civilians, including two Reuters journalists.
The US government condemned the leaks, arguing they endangered lives and national security.
Shortly after this in December 2010, Julian was arrested in the UK on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Julian vehemently denied the accusations, saying they were politically motivated, and was ultimately granted bail by a UK court under strict conditions.
However, in 2012, Julian breached these conditions by entering the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and seeking asylum there.
He did this as he feared extradition to Sweden would lead to his eventual extradition to the US, where he believed he would face serious charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified documents.
Julian stayed in exile at the embassy for seven years but in April 2019, Ecuador revoked his asylum. He was subsequently arrested and for the last five years Julian has been detained in a UK prison.
Julian’s case has sparked widespread debate over press freedom, government transparency, and national security, making him a polarising figure – advocates view him as a champion of free speech, while critics see him as a reckless individual compromising sensitive information.
Is Julian Assange free now?
On June 24, 2024, Julian was freed from prison in the United Kingdom after he agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of breaching the espionage law in the United States. Julian quickly flew home to Australia and was reunited with his wife and children.
His longtime lawyer Jennifer Robinson said in a statement, “Julian is finally free. That is thanks to the global movement to support him and defend free speech, the incredible legal teams I’ve worked with which fought so many legal battles over the past 14 years, and the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who was the first Australian leader to stand up against this injustice against an Australian citizen and say enough is enough.”
What nationality is Julian Assange?
Julian is Australian; he was born in Townsville, Queensland and spent his childhood and teen years in various Australian suburbs including Goolmangar in New South Wales and Melbourne in Victoria.
What nationality is Julian Assange’s wife?
Stella Assange (née Sara Gonzalez Devant), who has been married to Julian since 2022, is a Swedish-Spanish lawyer.
She began dating Julian in 2015, and the couple share two children together; the first was born in 2017 and the second was born in 2019.
What happened to WikiLeaks?
As of 2024, WikiLeaks is still operating. The official website describes itself as a “multi-national media organisation and associated library” that “specialises in the analysis and publication of large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials”.
However in 2023, Julian told The Nation that WikiLeaks had ceased publishing new content because of his imprisonment.
Furthermore, as a part of his recent plea deal with the US, Julian has agreed he/WikiLeaks will destroy any unpublished US documents.
If you want to stay up to date with what Julian Assange is up to now he’s free, read on to see the latest news about him…
July 23, 2024
Stella took to Instagram almost a month after Julian was freed to post this sweet snap of herself with him and their two sons along with the caption, “Family photo! #AssangeFree.”
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