Julian Assange, Venezuela's Machado and Nobel peace prize: What's the controversy?

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday (Dec 18), filed a legal complaint against the Nobel Foundation for giving Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Assange alleges the committee converted 'an instrument of peace into an instrument of war' by disbursing funds to Machado. He claimed that if awarded to Macahdo, it would be gross misappropriation of funds and facilitation of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He sought to hold the release of more than $1 million to Machado claiming that it would mean financing of the crime of aggression. He has also demanded a detailed probe on Nobel Foundation officers.

What are Julian Assange's accusations?

In a lengthy post on X, Wikileaks founder argued that the disbursement of the prize violates Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will, which mandates that the Peace Prize go to individuals who "conferred the greatest benefit to humankind" and promoted peace, fraternity between nations, or reduction of standing armies.

In his complaint, Assange has named Nobel Foundation Chair Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Executive Director Hanna Stjärne, and 28 others. Opposing Machado's name, Assange claimed that she incited US military intervention in Venezuela, supported extrajudicial killings and military aggression and used her Peace Prize recognition to further escalation. The complaint also cites statements praising US President Donald Trump's military strikes and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct in Gaza.

Julian Assange was wanted by the US on charges related to publishing classified documents via WikiLeaks and is now in Australia after the case concluded in June 2024. As the evidence for his claims, Assange shared that as many as 21 Norwegian peace organisations criticized Machado as 'the opposite of a peace laureate.' He said that Nobel laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel condemned the award as a mockery of Nobel’s will and Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) confirmed her calls for military intervention.