TIMELINE: Events leading up to the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
TIMELINE: Events leading up to the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
By The Signal reporter Celeste Cordero
Julian Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks, a website created in 2006 to leak mostly classified information to the public. Over the years he has been a symbol for whistleblowing and controversial topics. In 2010, WikiLeaks published a series of leaked “documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts” by Chelsea Manning, an intelligence analyst in Iraq. The Army reports came to be known as Iraq War Logs and Afgan War Diaries.
By The Signal reporter Celeste Cordero
Julian Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks, a website created in 2006 to leak mostly classified information to the public. Over the years he has been a symbol for whistleblowing and controversial topics. In 2010, WikiLeaks published a series of leaked “documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts” by Chelsea Manning, an intelligence analyst in Iraq. The Army reports came to be known as Iraq War Logs and Afgan War Diaries.
WikiLeaks is a website, which was created in 2006, to leak mostly classified information to the public.
WIkiLeaks ran with a story that Kenya police were aiding in the disappearance of young men and having them killed. Official documents were leaked and confirmed the killings. In the QZ journal article, "How Kenya gave Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks its first major global scoop," reporter Abdi Latif Dahir wrote, “The report helped boost Assange’s profile globally, winning him the prestigious Amnesty International New Media Award in 2009.”
WikiLeaks releases Collateral Murder, videos of two apache helicopters in 2007 striking down more than a dozen civilians in New Bagdad. The U.S. military denies that they knew civilians were on the ground. Whistleblower Chelsea Manning is held responsible for releasing this information, along with hundreds of thousands other documents, and charged with up to 25 years for espionage.
Assange is accused of sexual assault and rape in Sweden. An investigation later took place and the accusation found unproven, however, Assange still faces possible jail time for jumping bail.
Chelsea Manning court-martialed and imprisoned on charges of violating the Espionage Act for disclosing reports to WikiLeaks.
Assange seeks asylum from Sweden for sexual assault/rape charges at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
WikiLeaks releases emails that U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent/received from her private email server when she was Secretary of State.
Chelsea Manning released after being imprisoned for 7 years. Former President Barack Obama granted Manning clemency in his final days in office in January 2017.
Ecuador President Lenin Moreno accuses Assange of violating the terms of his asylum and leaking private photos of Moreno’s family and friends through WikiLeaks.
Assange loses asylum and is arrested at Ecuadorian embassy in London. Faces U.S. extradition charges.