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Where oh where will Julian Assange go?
 12 years ago.
to the US. That’s where a trial for the Australian awaits over the publication of classified documents that exposed alleged war crimes
Julian Assange
The British government has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder 
The US says he broke the law and endangered lives.
Assange is a divisive character.
His supporters say he exposed US wrongdoing in wartime.
Here’s what’s happened in the past 12 years.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released over 91,000 documents, many containing secret US military reports about the war in Afghanistan. Another 400,000 classified files chronicling the Iraq war from 2004 - 2009 were leaked.
Wikileaks vs The US
US authorities want to try Assange for espionage.
Controversial claims
At the same time, Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange for alleged rape. He denied the claims and said they were made in a bid to extradite him to the US for trial. There were never any charges laid. 
Julian Assange lived in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London from 2012 to 2019, when the US  formally asked Britain to extradite him. Ecuador offered him protection over fears Assange could face the death penalty.
Assange in hiding
While the embassy was a safe haven, his relations with his hosts soured. Staff complained of him skateboarding, playing loud music and walking around in his underwear. There were reports Assange smeared his own faecal matter on the walls.
“We've ended the asylum of this spoiled brat. From now on we'll be more careful in giving asylum to people who are really worth it, and not miserable hackers whose only goal is to destabilise governments.”
Former Ecuadorian President, Lenin Moreno
Wikileaks wedding bells
Assange secretly fathered two children with member of his legal team and partner Stella Moris.
In 2019 Assange was relocated to a UK prison called Belmarsh while his case went to court.
He married Moris in March 2022 at a small ceremony attended by just four guests.
Image: Instagram | Stella Moris
In 2021, the judge concluded it would be “oppressive” to extradite Assange to the US. This was overturned after the US promised they would not seek the death penalty and Assange could serve any possible sentence in Australia.
Extra, extra, extradition
Image: Instagram | Stella Moris
What happens next?
Assange's team have 14 days to mount an appeal for the extradition. WikiLeaks has indicated they'll take legal action.
Anthony Albanese has previously indicated his support for Assange's release, even dining with his father, one-on-one.
“Certainly even people who have been hostile to Assange in the past and might have thought he was a bit of a dickhead, are now swinging around … because they think the case has just gone on too long.”
Greg Barns, Adviser to the Australian Assange campaign
WORDS: Olivia CaisleyPRODUCER: Bianca Farmakis
																		

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/web-stories/free/the-australian/where-oh-where-will-julian-assange-go