Liberty or death

He looks much older than his 52 years. But little wonder. Julian Assange, one of the world's most controversial figures, is fighting for his future. 

Later today, the High CourtIn England and Wales, a court that deals with particularly important cases, or those that involve large sums of money. in London is expected to decide whether or not he should be extraditedWhen somebody accused of a crime is formally sent back from one country to the country in which the crime allegedly occurred. from the UK to the USA to face spying charges. There he is facing a prison sentence of 175 years.

But Assange's wife, Stella, says his health is so poor that he might not even survive the extradition process.

Assange is the founder of WikiLeaksA whistleblowing platform founded by Julian Assange. It has published news leaks and classified documents obtained by anonymous individuals. , an international organisation that publishes secret documents leaked to it from governments around the world.

It has always been a divisiveCausing people to be split into groups that disagree with or oppose each other. project. Supporters call it an icon of citizen journalism, exposing the dark secrets at the heart of power. Detractors say it is an activist group with an anti-WesternRefers to broad opposition, bias, or hostility towards the people, culture, or policies of the Western world. biasBiases are beliefs that systematically and unfairly distort a person's decisions, in favour or against one group or another. and a cosy relationship with brutal dictators.

Although it has leaked documents from many governments, the most controversial leaks have come from the USA. WikiLeaks published material from its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including footage of a US helicopter killing two journalists.¹

The US State DepartmentIn the US, the government department responsible for foreign policy and international relations. accuses Wikileaks of endangering the lives of US citizens and of those who cooperated with the USA in places like Afghanistan. However, it has never proved that anyone was harmed as a result of the leaks.²

Some say WikiLeaks heroically exposed facts that governments have gone to great lengths to cover up. Without it we might never have found out key details about torture at Guantanamo BayA US military base in Cuba. It is known for its infamous detention camp, a military prison which opened after the 9/11 attacks, where some people were kept without trial. and US drone strikes in YemenThe poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. .³

They claim it does not have an anti-Western bias and many of its most important stories had nothing to do with the US. The problem, they say, is that the media only covers WikiLeaks when it exposes Western governments.

But others argue it often targeted not only governments, but also dissidentsPeople who publicly disagree with or criticise an authority or government, especially an oppressive one. and ordinary citizens.⁴

Is Julian Assange a hero? 

Yes: WikiLeaks represents a new kind of journalism: open-source, daring, willing to publish vital information that others will not touch. And Assange has paid a terrible price for this.

No: Even other leakers, like Edward SnowdenKnown for leaking classified information from the USA's National Security Agency in 2013. He moved to Russia to avoid arrest. , have criticised Assange for refusing to curateTo carefully choose, arrange, and present different items in order to get a particular effect. the material he publishes.⁵ He is nothing but a loose cannon with a grudge against western governments.

Or... Assange is a complicated man, at turns campaigning journalist and conspiracy theoristA person who believes that some secret but influential organisation is responsible for a particular event or phenomenon. . But whether or not he is a hero has little bearing on whether it is right or wrong to punish him for his work.