Who is Julian Assange and where is he now? – The Sun

WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange has won the first stage of his bid to appeal a decision which could see him be extradited to America.

In December 2021, the High Court ruled in a sensational U-turn that Assange can be extradited to the US.

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Julian Assangeis an editor and founder ofWikiLeaks, a source which provides news leaks and classified information obtained by anonymous sources.

WikiLeaks rose to prominence in 2010 as it published a series of leaks provided by aUSArmy intelligence analyst namedChelsea Manning.

The information included the Baghdad airstrike Collateral Murder video, the Afghanistan war logs, the Iraq war logs, and Cablegate.

Being in fear of the US government, Assange took refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London.

He was granted asylum by Ecuador due to fears of political persecution and extradition to the United States.

Assange remained in the Embassy of Ecuador in London for approximately seven years.

He was granted Ecuadorian citizenship in 2018 but the asylum was withdrawn following a series of disputes with the Ecuadorian authorities in 2019.

Assange has two children with lawyer and girlfriend Stella Morriswhile living at the Ecuadorian embassy.

The pair have been engaged since 2017.

He was previously married to Teresa from 1989 to 1999, with whom he has one son.

Was Assange accused of sexual assault?

Julian Assange

Aside from leaking thousands of classified US government information in 2010 and 2011, Assange also allegedly took part inleaking emails Hillary Clinton sentand received when she was Secretary of State as the 2016 presidential election was approaching.

The US Intelligence concluded that the Russian government carried out a hacking campaign as part of broader efforts to interfere in the 2016 United States elections.

In 2018, 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted on criminal charges by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The charges against the Russians included carrying out the computer hacking and working with WikiLeaks and other organizations to spread stolen documents.

In May of 2019, he was found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and was sentenced to serve 50 weeks in a UK prison.

The US government also unsealed an indictment against Assange for alleged computer intrusion, related to the leaks provided by Manning.

Towards the end of May, the US government also charged Assange with violating the Espionage Act of 1917.

The Department of Justice"broadened" the charges against himin June, claiming he conspired with the web activist group Anonymous.

If convicted, he would have been held in isolation at the maximum-security Supermax jail in Colorado, described as 'a "fate worse than death" by a former warden.

As of December 2021, Assange is being held at theHM Prison Belmarshin the UK.

Hesuffered a strokein early December while at the prison, with the CPS approving a wedding application a month prior so he couldmarry fiance Stella Morris.

He has been fighting extradition to the US with his lawyers previously arguing he is a high suicide risk and is too ill to be sent to America for a trial.

In January 24, 2022, his lawyers won the first stage of his bid against the Supreme Court's decision that he can be extradited to the US, meaning he could remain in the UK.

Speaking outside the court, Assange's fiance, Stella Moris said: "Make no mistake, we won today in court.

"But let's not forget that every time we win, as long as this case isn't dropped, as long as Julian isn't free, he continues to suffer."

Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006.

The site appears to still be running, as the last post appears to have been made in October of 2019.

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Who is Julian Assange and where is he now? - The Sun