But almost everyone will have read journalism based on the leaks published by his organization, whether it is the secret files he revealed from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decades of top secret US diplomatic telegrams, details about its hacker tools CIA or his emails from the Democratic National Committee.
In recent years, many of Assange’s enemies – most notably the US government – have begun to approach. Now the UK Home Secretary, Pretty Patel, has given the green light for his extradition to face charges of violating the espionage law, claiming that the material released endangered lives. He has 14 days to appeal the decision, a move his team has said it would make.
The case is bigger than Assange. Civil liberties activists say the decision to extradite him poses a serious threat to journalism in the public interest.
Photo: William West / AFP / Getty Images
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