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A poster with Julian Assange's face on a public sidewalk
Image: George Chan/SOPA Images/picture allianceImage: George Chan/SOPA Images/picture alliance

Julian Assange

Julian Assange, an Australian editor and publisher, is best best known for founding the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, responsible for the 2010 release of a trove of US classified documents.

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All Content on this topic

WikiLeaks' logo and a magnifying glass over the word secret

WikiLeaks names new editor-in-chief

Still living in the Ecuadorian Embassy, Julian Assange has appointed a new editor to oversee WikiLeaks.
SocietySeptember 27, 2018
Assange appears at the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2017

Ecuador close to evicting Assange: report

Assange was granted asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition to the US.
PoliticsJuly 23, 2018
Martin Winterkorn in Berlin

From VW to Assange: How extradition works

Luckily for ex-VW CEO Winterkorn, Germany is one of a handful of countries that refuses to extradite its own citizens.
Law and JusticeMay 4, 2018
Assange pictured on the balcony of the Equadorian Embassy in Central London

Ecuador cuts off Assange's communications

The Ecuadorian government says the decision was taken after Assange was seen as interfering in other nations' affairs.
PoliticsMarch 28, 2018
Julian Assange

Assange loses bid to have UK arrest warrant dropped

The Wikileaks founder has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden.
PoliticsFebruary 6, 2018
Julian Assange on a balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Assange asks UK to scrap arrest warrant

He argues that the warrant serves no purpose after Sweden dropped its probe into sexual assault charges against him.
PoliticsJanuary 26, 2018
Julian Assange WikiLeaks founder

Julian Assange granted Ecuadorian citizenship

Quito has said naturalization should provide Assange with another layer of protection, although it remains unclear how.
Law and JusticeJanuary 11, 2018
Julian Assange stands on a balcony at the Ecuadorian embassy in London

Ecuador looks to end Assange impasse

The Ecuadorian foreign minister has urged "international cooperation" to end a standoff in the case of Julian Assange.
PoliticsJanuary 9, 2018
Photo illustration shows a hard drive in the light of a projection of binary data - ones and zeroes.

Spain warns EU of Russian meddling in Catalonia

Madrid stopped short of blaming the Kremlin of outright interference in Spain's domestic affairs.
PoliticsNovember 13, 2017
DW Conflict Zone - Zitattafel Morgan Johansson

Swedish justice minister: 'Blame is on Assange, not Sweden'

Michel Friedman meets the Swedish Justice Minister Morgan Johansson on Conflict Zone.
PoliticsJune 28, 2017
Großbritannien Wikileaks Assange (picture alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein)

Five years without sunlight

Julian Assange has been holed up at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012.
Law and JusticeJune 19, 2017
UK Assange erscheint auf Botschaftsbalkon

Ecuador's new president won't evict Assange

After an earlier hardline stance, Ecuador's new president Lenin Moreno says the Wikileaks boss can stay at its embassy
Human RightsMay 30, 2017
UK Assange erscheint auf Botschaftsbalkon

'Extradition requires an extradition request'

German legal expert Nikolaos Gazeas talks about extradition and whether Britain can arrest Assange for skipping bail.
PoliticsMay 19, 2017
external

Sweden drops rape charge against WikiLeaks' Assange

Julian Assange has yet to leave the Ecuadoran embassy in London where he has spent the past five years.
PoliticsMay 19, 201701:17 min
UK Assange erscheint auf Botschaftsbalkon

Assange won't 'forgive or forget' after probe dropped

Swedish prosecutors will drop an investigation into an allegation of rape against the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
PoliticsMay 19, 2017
Julian Assange

Whistleblowers should be ‘protected not prosecuted’

Lawyer Renata Avila thinks global democracy would instead benefit from greater protections for leakers.
MediaMay 5, 2017
von Hein Matthias Kommentarbild App

Opinion: Tolerating Wikileaks

Matthias von Hein
DW's Matthias von Hein says pursuing charges against the Wikileaks founder would be an attack on press freedom.
Law and JusticeApril 21, 2017
Julian Assange Gründer WikiLeaks

Reports: US mulls charging WikiLeaks, Assange

Prosecutors could charge Julian Assange with conspiracy, theft of government property and violating the Espionage Act.
CrimeApril 21, 2017
USA Mike Pompeo in Washington

CIA chief brands WikiLeaks a 'hostile' agency

"WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service," Pompeo said.
PoliticsApril 14, 2017
WikiLeaks CIA - Julian Assange

Julian Assange documentary to air in the US

Laura Poitras’ documentary film on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will make its US television debut.
CultureApril 10, 2017
Ecuador Ecuadorianer wählen Nachfolger von Präsident Correa

Ecuadorians decide on a president

At stake is the legacy of Rafael Correa and his decade-long leftist rule that pulled millions out of poverty.
PoliticsApril 2, 2017
WikiLeaks CIA - Julian Assange

Assange: More CIA material to come

In a DW interview, Julian Assange lobs harsh criticism at US tech firms - and says he will publish more CIA files.
TechnologyMarch 23, 2017
Julian Assange London Großbritannien

WikiLeaks announces tech firm cooperation

The anti-secrecy platform WikiLeaks has said it would work with firms to fix security flaws before publishing them.
Digital WorldMarch 9, 2017
US-Generalkonsulat in Frankfurt am Main

CIA hacking base in Frankfurt - WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks documents reveal CIA agents were given cover identities and diplomatic passports to enter the country.
Law and JusticeMarch 7, 2017
Ecuador Wahlen Lenin Moreno

Ecuador ruling party candidate heads poll

The presidential poll in Ecuador saw a good but perhaps not decisive result for the ruling party candidate Lenin Moreno.
PoliticsFebruary 20, 2017
Ecuador Präsidentschaftswahl | TV-Debatte

Left and right battle for Ecuadorians' vote

Outgoing President Rafael Correa is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office.
PoliticsFebruary 19, 2017
Julian Assange Gründer WikiLeaks

Assange stands by US extradition offer

Julian Assange says he's willing to stick to his pledge to accept extradition if Chelsea Manning is set free.
PoliticsJanuary 20, 2017
Michael Knigge Kommentarbild App *PROVISORISCH*

Trump's dangerous criticism

Michael Knigge
With his criticism of the work of US intelligence services, the president-elect undermines trust, writes Michael Knigge.
PoliticsJanuary 7, 2017
Julian Assange Gründer WikiLeaks

Wikileaks founder Assange questioned over rape allegations

Investigations are linked to allegations that Assange committed sexual misconduct in Sweden in 2010.
Law and JusticeNovember 14, 2016
Großbritannien Wikileaks Assange (picture alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein)

Assange legal drama enters new phase

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to be questioned by a Swedish lawyer in his London asylum.
Law and JusticeNovember 13, 2016
Großbritannien Wikileaks Assange (picture alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein)

Wikileaks founder to be questioned inside embassy

Sweden says Wikileaks' Julian Assange would be questioned in the Ecuadorian embassy where he's taken refuge since 2012.
CatastropheNovember 7, 2016
Julian Assange Gründer WikiLeaks

Ecuador admits it cut off Assange's internet

The confirmation comes after WikiLeaks published campaign documents from US Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
PoliticsOctober 19, 2016
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

WikiLeaks: Ecuador cuts internet for Assange

Anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks has activated "contingency plans" after its founder lost internet access.
PoliticsOctober 18, 2016
external

WikiLeaks celebrates 10 years with new threats

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange said the new leaks target mass surveilance, Google and the US elections.
PoliticsOctober 4, 201601:18 min
Deutschland PK Wikileaks in Berlin

WikiLeaks poised for new release

Julian Assange has only offered clues like "war," "Google" and "US elections" but they still pack a punch.
PoliticsOctober 4, 2016
Illustration: Magnifying glass enlarges the word 'secret'

Swedish court upholds arrest warrant for Assange

While Assange battles to get rape charges against him lifted, he is threatening to upend the US presidential election.
September 16, 2016
London ecuadorianische Botschaft Julian Assange

Ecuador to give Sweden access to Assange

Ecuador agrees to allow Sweden to interview WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside its embassy.
August 11, 2016
Julian Assange

Julian Assange files for appeal in Sweden

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange files an appeal at a Swedish Court of Appeal, urging Sweden to drop charges.
August 9, 2016
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Copyright: Reuters/B. Snyder

Clinton campaign breached in hack attack

US Democrats have confirmed a new cyberattack, with hackers targeting the party's Congressional Campaign Committee.
July 30, 2016
Julian Assange standing in front of the Ecuadorian flag

Assange marks four years in Ecuador's embassy

Supporters have scheduled events across the globe to demand Assange be released from "arbitrary detention."
June 19, 2016
Marianne Ny said she did not agree with last week's decision by a UN panel of experts

Sweden prepares new Assange interview request

The move comes after an expert UN panel announced that the WikiLeaks founder had been arbitrarily detained.
February 9, 2016
London ecuadorianische Botschaft Julian Assange

Timeline: Julian Assange's story so far

Here's a summary of key dates since the WikiLeaks founder acquired thousands of sensitive documents from a US source.
February 5, 2016
external

@dwnews - Online reactions to UN Assange ruling

February 5, 201601:38 min
Großbritannien Assange PK via Skype

Mixed reactions on social media to UN's Assange ruling

Users were divided in their reactions the UN ruling stating Julian Assange was being detained 'arbitrarily'
February 5, 2016
Press and polcie outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London

Assange isn't budging

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange still faces arrest if he exits Ecuador's embassy, and he's not budging.
February 5, 2016
Großbritannien Assange PK vie Skype Screenshot

UN view on Assange rebuffed

UN panel's ruling on Assange rejected by Britain, Sweden
February 5, 2016
Julian Assange

UN panel rules Assange arbitrarily held

A UN panel has agreed that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being arbitrarily held at the Ecuador embassy in London.
February 5, 2016
Assange is known for his role as editor-in-chief of Wikileaks

UK police to arrest Assange if he leaves embassy

British authorities have said that an arrest warrant for the Wikileaks founder "is still in place."
February 4, 2016
Julian Assange PK in London 18.08.2014

Assange: I will leave embassy if UN rules against me

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has announced he may finally leave the Ecuadorian embassy to the UK.
February 4, 2016
Wikileaks veröffentlicht Unterlagen von Sony Pictures

Sweden may quiz Assange over rape charge

Sweden, Ecuador agree that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be questioned inside the London embassy.
December 14, 2015