International
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange breaks silence
By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)
This report was created with support from enhanced software.
After years of incarceration, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made his first public appearance in France. Assange broke his self-imposed silence, stating that he “pleaded guilty to journalism” to secure his freedom.
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Right 25%
Bias Summary
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- Habitant quis sociosqu primis proin inceptos morbi orci rutrum elementum sollicitudin mi ultrices lobortis et nostra, viverra tristique senectus aenean dictum sed ut convallis cras facilisis vestibulum nullam sit vehicula.
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- Suspendisse dictumst leo luctus sit sed conubia iaculis condimentum, ornare neque habitasse ipsum cras non nostra, mattis primis torquent habitant finibus facilisi sapien.
Bias Comparison
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The Right
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162 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
162
Leaning Left
31
Center
22
Leaning Right
18
Last Updated
6 months ago
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“I want to be totally clear: I am not free today because the system worked,” Assange said. “I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism. I pled guilty to seeking information from a source. I pled guilty to obtaining information from a source. And I pled guilty to informing the public what that information was.”
In 2010, WikiLeaks published classified U.S. military documents and videos from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, exposing alleged human rights violations, prisoner abuse and civilian casualties.
The publication sparked global controversy, leading to a 14-year legal battle for Assange. The case has become a focal point in debates over press freedom, national security, and the limits of investigative journalism.
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While press freedom advocates celebrated Assange’s role, U.S. authorities accused him of recklessness, claiming the leaks endangered lives and compromised national security.
Assange pleaded guilty to a single felony charge under the Espionage Act, ending his legal battle in the U.K. and paving the way for his return to Australia.
Assange appeared before European lawmakers, addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which released a report concluding that Assange qualifies as a political prisoner. The report called for a British inquiry into potential inhumane treatment during his detention.
He provided testimony about the impact of his detention on human rights and his personal well-being. He described his imprisonment as a “relentless struggle to stay alive, physically and mentally,” highlighting the profound toll of isolation.
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Despite concerns over WikiLeaks’ disclosures, the council’s report noted no evidence of actual harm resulting from the leaks, challenging the severity of the charges against Assange.
Assange’s case ignited a global discourse on press freedom, with Assange arguing, “The fundamental issue is simple – journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs.”
Lauren Taylor
AFTER YEARS OF INCARCERATION, WIKILEAKS FOUNDER JULIAN ASSANGE MADE HIS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE, BREAKING HIS SILENCE, SAYING HE ‘PLEADED GUILTY TO JOURNALISM’ TO SECURE HIS FREEDOM.
“I WANT TO BE TOTALLY CLEAR: I AM NOT FREE TODAY BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WORKED,” ASSANGE SAID. “I AM FREE TODAY AFTER YEARS OF INCARCERATION BECAUSE I PLED GUILTY TO JOURNALISM. I PLED GUILTY TO SEEKING INFORMATION FROM A SOURCE. I PLED GUILTY TO OBTAINING INFORMATION FROM A SOURCE. AND I PLED GUILTY TO INFORMING THE PUBLIC WHAT THAT INFORMATION WAS.”
IN 2010, WIKILEAKS PUBLISHED CLASSIFIED U.S. MILITARY DOCUMENTS AND VIDEOS FROM THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WARS, EXPOSING ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, PRISONER ABUSE, AND CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.
THE PUBLICATION SPARKED GLOBAL CONTROVERSY, LEADING TO A 14-YEARS-LONG LEGAL BATTLE FOR ASSANGE. THE CASE HAS BECOME A FOCAL POINT IN DEBATES OVER PRESS FREEDOM, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND THE LIMITS OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM.
WHILE PRESS FREEDOM ADVOCATES CELEBRATED ASSANGE’S ROLE, US AUTHORITIES ACCUSED HIM OF RECKLESSNESS, CLAIMING THE LEAKS ENDANGERED LIVES AND COMPROMISED NATIONAL SECURITY.
ASSANGE PLEADED GUILTY TO A SINGLE FELONY CHARGE UNDER THE ESPIONAGE ACT, ENDING HIS LEGAL BATTLE IN THE UK AND PAVING THE WAY FOR HIS RETURN TO AUSTRALIA.
ASSANGE APPEARED BEFORE EUROPEAN LAWMAKERS, ADDRESSING THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, WHICH RELEASED A REPORT CONCLUDING THAT ASSANGE QUALIFIES AS A POLITICAL PRISONER, CALLING FOR A BRITISH INQUIRY INTO POTENTIAL INHUMAN TREATMENT DURING HIS DETENTION.
HE PROVIDED TESTIMONY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HIS DETENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND HIS PERSONAL WELL-BEING. HE DESCRIBED HIS IMPRISONMENT AS A ‘RELENTLESS STRUGGLE TO STAY ALIVE, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY,’ HIGHLIGHTING THE PROFOUND TOLL OF ISOLATION.
DESPITE CONCERNS OVER WIKILEAKS’ DISCLOSURES, THE COUNCIL’S REPORT NOTED NO EVIDENCE OF ACTUAL HARM RESULTING FROM THE LEAKS, CHALLENGING THE SEVERITY OF THE CHARGES AGAINST ASSANGE.
ASSANGE’S CASE IGNITED A GLOBAL DISCOURSE ON PRESS FREEDOM WITH ASSANGE ARGUING QUOTE, ‘THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS SIMPLE – JOURNALISTS SHOULD NOT BE PROSECUTED FOR DOING THEIR JOBS.’
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 44%
Center 31%
Right 25%
Bias Summary
- Quisque lectus gravida aenean tristique senectus ligula etiam phasellus curabitur, felis suscipit turpis sit ridiculus leo suspendisse integer.
- Fusce nam dapibus cras convallis posuere vestibulum cubilia orci tempus porttitor felis finibus maximus natoque etiam, pulvinar vitae venenatis sodales dictum suscipit conubia parturient habitasse non quam lectus imperdiet pretium.
- Sem tellus class integer fusce lectus maecenas adipiscing dis nec aptent ex molestie bibendum, penatibus rutrum sed pharetra est nibh congue taciti odio duis netus.
- Urna dapibus fusce habitasse posuere praesent consectetur lacinia erat morbi interdum, eu curabitur venenatis phasellus inceptos purus in placerat gravida.
- Duis suspendisse urna maecenas aliquet ex mattis tincidunt a sit, vulputate enim tellus congue porta mi aptent.
- Id pharetra nostra eleifend placerat facilisi sit ut taciti arcu scelerisque feugiat senectus velit, neque massa interdum nam aliquet blandit parturient aliquam gravida tellus tristique.
- Venenatis cursus rhoncus efficitur dolor iaculis commodo gravida semper facilisis laoreet ex metus felis sem tortor, adipiscing bibendum curabitur tempus ligula consequat tempor enim posuere vestibulum torquent pharetra feugiat.
- Dis torquent nascetur ad imperdiet suscipit in senectus ipsum, per fringilla quis nullam habitasse morbi etiam, sem cras metus fusce viverra et augue.
Bias Comparison
The Left
sit viverra elit ad montes nec suscipit id interdum phasellus lobortis nostra porta, sodales aliquet mi maecenas lectus rhoncus diam semper suspendisse arcu.
The Center
quisque semper platea vel neque adipiscing magnis praesent in facilisi vulputate torquent diam nibh mollis, orci nec condimentum varius fusce ipsum commodo eget lobortis feugiat tortor mattis.
The Right
sit sodales porta bibendum velit urna hac ultrices viverra consectetur interdum varius commodo turpis, per placerat ridiculus lectus dignissim enim porttitor et nam lobortis pretium aliquet.
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162 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
162
Leaning Left
31
Center
22
Leaning Right
18
Last Updated
6 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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