Who is Julian Assange and why is he being extradited to the US?

NEW DELHI

Julian Assange's case is the one that has brought the United States under the most scrutiny in terms of freedom of expression and the press.

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On Wednesday, a UK judge issued a formal order extraditing Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, to the United States to face charges related to the publishing of secret material linked to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Julian Assange is the founder of Wikileaks, a website known for publishing hundreds of sensitive papers and revealing countless scandals and secrets.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Wikileaks leaked confidential Democratic Party emails, demonstrating that the party's national committee favoured Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in the primaries.

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In November 2010, while Assange was in the United Kingdom, Sweden acquired an international arrest warrant for him based on allegations of sexual misconduct.

Also read | Julian Assange: UK court issues extradition order to US for Wikileaks founder

Julian Assange: Who is he and what does he do?

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Julian Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks, a website known for publishing hundreds of sensitive papers and revealing various scandals and secrets. WikiLeaks is a "multinational media organisation and affiliated library," according to the organization's official website.

Julian Assange, the organization's publisher, launched it in 2006. WikiLeaks "specialises in analysing and publishing enormous datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials concerning war, spying, and corruption."

Also read | WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets married in British high security prison

Why is Julian Assange wanted in the US?

After WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of secret papers connected to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Assange is wanted in the United States for an alleged conspiracy to reveal national defence material.

Following the publication of thousands of confidential papers and diplomatic cables by Wikileaks in 2010, he was charged in the United States with 18 criminal counts.

If found guilty, Assange could face a sentence of up to 175 years in jail.

He has always maintained that he is innocent of any misconduct.

According to Assange's legal team, releasing sensitive information exposed US malfeasance and was in the public interest.

(With inputs from agencies)

Who is Julian Assange and why is he being extradited to the US?

<p>Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is one step closer to being extradited to the United States, where he will face charges under the Espionage Act, after a London court handed his extradition order to the British government for clearance.</p>

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is one step closer to being extradited to the United States, where he will face charges under the Espionage Act, after a London court handed his extradition order to the British government for clearance.