Julian Assange Biography

Julian Assange hacked into the databases of a number of high-profile organisations using his genius IQ. In 2006, Assange started working on WikiLeaks, a website dedicated to collecting and sharing secret material on a global scale, and in 2010, he was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year." In 2012, Assange was granted political refuge by Ecuador and holed up at the country's embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault allegations. When WikiLeaks published thousands of emails from U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee in 2016, his efforts once again gained international notice. Assange was prosecuted in the United States for breaking the Espionage Act after his asylum was revoked in April 2019.

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Early Life

Julian Assange was born in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, on July 3, 1971. Assange grew up with his mother, Christine, and stepfather, Brett Assange, and spent some of his early years travelling about with them. The couple collaborated to put on theatrical performances. Julian Assange was later described as a "bright child who always fought for the underdog" by Brett Assange.

Although Brett and Christine's relationship deteriorated over time, Assange and his mother continued to live a nomadic existence. As a result of his constant movement, Assange attended about 37 different schools as a child and was frequently homeschooled.

Founding of WikiLeaks

As a youth, Assange developed his interest in computers. His mother gave him his first computer when he was 16 years old. He quickly developed a knack for breaking into computer systems. He got into difficulties after breaking into the master terminal for Nortel, a telecommunications corporation, in 1991. In Australia, Assange was charged with more than 30 counts of hacking, but he was merely fined for damages.

Assange continues to work as a software developer and computer programmer. He studied mathematics at the University of Melbourne and was a bright young man. He left the institution without finishing his degree, subsequently alleging that he left for moral reasons; Assange objected to other students working on military computer projects.

Assange continues to work as a software developer and computer programmer. He studied mathematics at the University of Melbourne and was a bright young man. He left the institution without finishing his degree, subsequently alleging that he left for moral reasons; Assange objected to other students working on military computer projects.

Early WikiLeaks Activity and Legal Issues

WikiLeaks released nearly half a million papers seized from U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning (later known as Chelsea Manning) in 2010, most of which related to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite the fact that much of the information had previously been made public, President Barack Obama's administration condemned the leaks as a threat to national security. WikiLeaks began posting an estimated 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables in November of that year. The majority of the classified documents were from 2007 to 2010, but there were a few from 1966. Behind-the-scenes US efforts to politically and economically isolate Iran, especially in response to fears of Iran developing nuclear weapons, were among the many subjects discussed. Governments throughout the world reacted quickly, with many condemning the publishing. Some American lawmakers asked for Assange to be prosecuted as a terrorist.

Assange was also facing charges in Sweden, where he was wanted on sexual assault charges. (This was Assange's second arrest warrant for the alleged offences; the first was dropped in August 2010 due to a lack of evidence.) In December 2010, Assange was detained in London and jailed without bail pending extradition to Sweden. He was later released on bail, and a British judge determined in February 2011 that the extradition should go on, a decision that Assange's lawyers challenged. The British High Court ruled in December 2011 that Assange's extradition case was "of general public concern" and suggested that the Supreme Court consider it. As a result of this ruling, Assange was able to ask the Supreme Court for a final hearing on the case.

In May 2011, Assange received the Sydney Peace Foundation's gold medal, which had previously been given to Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama, for his "extraordinary heroism in the promotion of human rights." Julian Assange Autobiography: The Unauthorised Autobiography was published in September 2011 against Assange's desires. After sitting for approximately 50 hours of interviews, Assange withdrew his support for the project, and the resulting paper, while at times instructive, read very much like the early draught that it was.

While the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom deliberated on Assange's extradition, he remained under house arrest in rural Norfolk on the estate of a WikiLeaks supporter. Assange taped a series of interviews from this location, which were later compiled into The World Tomorrow, a talk show that premiered online and on the state-funded Russian satellite news network RT in April 2012. Assange kicked off the series with an interview with Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, which was Nasrallah's first with a Western journalist since the 34-day conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.

Sexual Assault Controversy

Assange found he had further legal issues to deal with in early December 2010. He has been the subject of a Swedish police investigation since early August, with two counts of sexual molestation, one act of illegal coercion, and one offence of rape. On December 6, Assange surrendered to London police after Swedish authorities filed a European Arrest Warrant.

Following a series of extradition hearings in early 2011, Assange learnt on November 2, 2011, that his appeal to the High Court had been dismissed. Despite being released on conditional bail, Assange announced his intention to appeal to the UK Supreme Court.

Political Asylum at London's Ecuadorean Embassy

According to a report in the New York Times, Assange went to the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in June 2012 to evade extradition to Sweden. The Ecuadorean government gave Assange political refuge in August, which, according to the New York Times, "protects Mr Assange from British arrest only on Ecuadorean soil, leaving him exposed if he tries to leave the embassy to go to an airport or train station."

The judgement "raised the prospect that Mr Assange may suffer 'political persecution' or be transported to the United States to face the death penalty," according to the storey, putting further strain on Ecuador-Britain relations and prompting a reply from the Swedish government.

The lesser sexual assault claims from 2010 were withdrawn in August 2015, with the exception of rape, due to Swedish prosecutors violating the statute of limitations. The rape allegations' statute of limitations will run out in 2020.

In February 2016, a United Nations panel found that Assange had been jailed arbitrarily and recommended that he be released and compensated for his deprivation of liberty. Both the Swedish and British governments, however, dismissed the findings as non-binding and vowed to arrest Assange if he left the Ecuadorian embassy.

Interesting Facts About Julian Assange 

1. Julian studied mathematics, physics, and programming at Central Queensland University from 1994 to 2003 and the University of Melbourne from 2003 to 2006, but did not complete his degree.

2. Assange despised and objected to other students working on military-related computer projects.

3. Julian began hacking in 1987 under the moniker Mendax, which means "nobly untruthful."

4. He and two others, Trax and Prime Suspect, created the International Subversives, an ethical hacking group (code names).

5. He and his group gained access to the Pentagon, the US Navy, and other Department of Defense facilities; government organisations like NASA, MILNET, and Australia's Overseas Telecommunications Commission; private companies like Citibank, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, Panasonic, and Xerox; and educational institutions like the Australian National University, La Trobe University, and Stanford University.

6. Around this period, he also co-wrote ‘Underground: Tales of Hacking,' a book about hacking.

7. In September 1991, he was caught hacking into Nortel's Melbourne master terminal, a Canadian multinational telecommunications company, and was sent to court.

8. Julian Assange assisted with prosecutions and provided technical guidance to the Victoria Police Child Exploitation Unit in 1993.

9. In the same year, he was involved in the founding of Suburbia Public Access Network, one of Australia's earliest public open internet networks, which provided non-profit organisations and individuals with web, shell, IRC, email, and other services.

10. In 1994, he was charged with 31 counts of hacking and related offences; he pleaded guilty to 25 of them in December 1996, and the remaining six were withdrawn. Julian had even hacked computers to keep track of the Australian Federal Police inquiry into his hacking, which was hilarious.

11. In November 2012, he published “Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet.”

12. In 2016, Assange was thrust back into the spotlight after Wikileaks published thousands of emails from US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee, potentially costing her the race.

Conclusion 

From Julian Assange Biography we understand that he is a vagabond in his childhood, a hacker in his teens and always living on the edge, Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, are the controversial man who people love and governments hate. This Australian publisher, journalist, and editor-in-chief of a whistle-blower website have remained committed to his idea that publication promotes transparency, and better scrutiny leads to less corruption and stronger democracies. This multi-talented hacker-publisher celebrates his 50th birthday today, July 3, although it's impossible to say where and how!

Julian Assange took safety at Ecuador's Embassy in London on June 19, 2012, after travelling across Australia and visiting 37 different schools. He stayed there for nearly seven years till Ecuador ended his politician asylum on April 12, 2019, because of disorderly behaviour. Assange is now in the custody of British police, but he is still wanted by US officials, and efforts are on to extradite him to face charges in the United States.