Background Information on Wikileaks

Here is some research that I have done in relation to Wikileaks and the government's control over the internet:

Media: The Internet lost control? Wikileaks

Julian Assange – History
• Founder, spokesperson and editor and chief of wikileaks
• In his youth hacked under the name of ‘Mendax’
• Believes in Freedom of press, censorship and investigative journalism
• US considered charges to do with the leaks however were told it would be hard to prosecute him
• Arrested on 7th December 2010 for alleged sexual offences

Wikileaks Story
• Founded in 2006
• Documents leaked onto the site include: extrajudicial killings in Kenya, a report of toxic waste dumping on the African coast, Church of Scientology manuals, Guantanamo Bay procedures, the 12 July 2007 Baghdad airstrike video
• Approximately 251 000 American cables only 1295 released
• Temporary suspension of the site after information was released

Twitter
• Subpoena received by Twitter to effectively entailed the collection for criminal prosecution of the personal identifying information of over 600 000 followers of Wikileaks


Sexual Assault allegations
• In June 2010 pentagon officials were looking for Assange because what he was about to release could "puts his well-being, his physical life, in some danger now."
• 20th August 2010 Swedish police open investigation about Assange alleged sexual offences against two women aged 31 and 26
• Daily telegraph report: Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks website, could be sent to the Guantánamo Bay detention camp or even executed in the US if he is extradited to Sweden, his lawyers have warned.
• Stockholm's chief prosecutor Eva Finne reviewed the case and dropped the rape investigation, saying there was insufficient evidence to suggest rape
• On 6 December 2010 European arrest warrant is released
• 7th December handed himself in to met police
• Granted bail on 16th and placed under house arrest with bail set at £240 000
• No charges against him have been filed by Swedish authories… yet!


Julian Assange death penalties – many people in America have implied that Julian Assange should face the death penalty for releasing American government information. Footage of this would be good to use as part of our archive footage.