Julian Assange: podcast appearances and interviews

Julian Paul Assange is an Australian editor, programmer, and publisher known for founding WikiLeaks in 2006. He gained international prominence in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of leaks from Chelsea Manning, including footage of a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad showing war crimes, U.S. military logs from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and diplomatic cables. Assange has received more than two dozen awards related to publishing and journalism. Raised across various locations in Australia before settling in Melbourne during his middle teens, Assange was involved in the hacker community and was convicted of hacking in 1996. As the editor of WikiLeaks, he oversaw the publication of significant documents such as the Bank Julius Baer files, footage of the 2008 Tibetan unrest, and reports on political killings in Kenya. His activities led to legal challenges, including an extradition request from Swedish authorities in 2010 and his subsequent refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London from 2012 until 2019 when his asylum was withdrawn. Assange was arrested and sentenced to prison for breaching his bail conditions. The United States charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion related to the leaks and later expanded indictments alleging violations of the Espionage Act. Throughout his detention, Assange's case has been a focal point in debates over press freedom and investigative journalism. In 2024, following a High Court ruling allowing an appeal, Assange negotiated a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors, pleaded guilty to a charge under the Espionage Act, and returned to Australia in June of that year.