Julian Assange to mark 10 years of WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will address a conference today to mark the 10th anniversary of the whistleblowing website.
Julian Assange will appear via video link. Picture: PAJulian Assange will appear via video link. Picture: PA
Julian Assange will appear via video link. Picture: PA

The 45-year-old was due to make a statement from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living for more than four years.

But WikiLeaks said that owing to “recent security concerns”, he would now appear via video link at a press conference in Berlin, Germany.

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A man scaled a wall at the embassy in the early hours in August. The intruder was spotted at the side of the building, which includes a window, and fled after being spotted by the embassy’s security staff.

The embassy complained it was two hours before anyone from the British authorities arrived.

WikiLeaks said it would be announcing new initiatives and provide updates on publishing and legal events.

Staff will speak about the lessons learnt over the past decade as well as future plans.

WikiLeaks has published 10 million documents, including top secret US State Department cables, saying they revealed “covert operations and cover-ups”.

Mr Assange is seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over a sex allegation, which he denies.

He believes he will be taken to the United States to be quizzed over the activities of WikiLeaks if he goes to Sweden, with the FBI pursuing charges including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, theft of government property and computer crimes.

WikiLeaks points out that the UK Government refuses to give any guarantees that Mr Assange will not be extradited to the United States if he leaves the embassy.

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The FBI and US Department of Justice informed a federal court in the United States that “prosecutive efforts” remain under way against WikiLeaks.

Last month, Sweden’s Court of Appeal refused a bid by Mr Assange to have his case “set aside”, saying no new information had emerged.

Mr Assange lodged a legal case following a decision by a United Nations Working Group in February that his confinement amounted to arbitrary detention.

An Ecuadorian official is due to interview Mr Assange on behalf of Swedish prosecutors later this month in the embassy.

Wikileaks recently offered a £20,000 reward for information on how the Labour Party’s top officials have “attempted to stop” Jeremy Corbyn becoming and staying on as leader.

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