Famous whistleblowers who shocked the world
Julian Assange has evaded extradition to the US, for now
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LIFESTYLE Secrets
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been in some form of confinement for the last 12 years and is currently in a British prison, has just been granted a few weeks of grace. Assange had a two-day hearing in February during which he made his case for an appeal to the British courts. The panel of judges reached a decision on March 26, stating that they would delay his extradition for three weeks. They have asked the US to provide further assurances that Assange's First Amendment rights will be respected if he is extradited, and that he will not receive the death penalty. If the US provides the necessary assurances during this three-week window, Assange will be extradited and face 18 federal charges. If they fail to do so, Assange will remain in the UK and have the chance to appeal his extradition formally in May.
The Australian publisher and activist rose to international fame in 2010 when WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of classified documents provided by whistleblower Chelsea Manning. That same year, Sweden issued a European arrest warrant for Assange in relation to a sexual assault. He appealed the warrant while the US ramped up their investigation into his involvement with Manning. When his appeal was rejected in 2012, Assange stepped into the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he was granted asylum, to avoid arrest. He famously lived in the embassy for seven years without stepping foot outside the building, such was his fear that he would be extradited to the US and face charges of espionage. When the charges in Sweden were dropped in 2019, Ecuador's government also dropped his asylum status, and he was arrested by British authorities for evading bail for so many years. That was also the year that the US officially indicted Assange for allegedly conspiring with Chelsea Manning. A month later, they added a further 17 espionage charges to his rap sheet.
Since then, Assange has been held at Belmarsh prison in London while his extradition is battled in the UK courts. In 2022, his extradition was approved by then-home Secretary Priti Patel and he has made multiple appeal attempts, bringing us to his last-ditch effort in 2024. His health has reportedly deteriorated in recent years and his supporters have expressed major concerns for his well-being, stating that he would be in serious danger if he is extradited to the US. “His life is at risk every single day he stays in prison. If he’s extradited, he will die," said his wife, Stella Assange. His lawyers argue that his extradition would only serve as a punishment for political opinions and freedom of speech, violating the European Convention on Human Rights. If Assange faces trial in the US, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Throughout history, there have been many people who, for one reason or another, released classified information. Known as whistleblowers, they have alerted the public about other individuals, governments, or organizations who were secretly involved in illicit or unethical activities. From Frank Serpico to Edward Snowden, some call these individuals heroes, while others see them as traitors.
Want to know more? Then check out this gallery to discover men and women who risked everything in the pursuit of truth.
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