Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has walked free from a US court after pleading guilty in a deal to end a 14 year-long legal battle.
Assange was pursued by US prosecutors for leaking a vast amount of secret military information, and had faced the risk of a long prison sentence.
He is now a judicially proven convicted criminal. He spent five years in London’s Belmarsh prison, and before that he spent seven years hiding in the Ecuadorean embassy.
Narcissism
There is a terrific long-form essay in the London Review of Books by Andrew O’Hagan in March 2014, that profiles the über-hacker.
O’Hagan had been commissioned to ghost write Assange’s autobiography – a project which never materialised because of Assange’s bizarre eccentricities and unreliability. The essay recounts O’Hagan’s experiences in trying to make it work. He stays with him and his entourage. He attends meetings, eats with him, and describes a tortuous few months when day was night, and light was dark.
It’s a masterly study of modern narcissism and ideological confusion. Assange is a walking contradiction.
More harm than good
Assange has a polarising effect on people. There is no doubt that he has created increased national security risks. His release of classified information via WikiLeaks exposed sensitive intelligence and military operations, potentially endangering the lives of informants, military personnel, and civilians.
These leaks strained diplomatic relations between the U.S. and other countries, as confidential diplomatic communications were made public, leading to mistrust and tension.
Assange started his ‘career’ as a hacker. He developed the dark art of ‘cyber-espionage’, and has encouraged its proliferation, leading to increased incidents of cyber attacks and data breaches.
Diplomats and politicians cite his undermining of democratic processes. The release of hacked emails during the 2016 U.S. presidential election has been one of the factors argued to have influenced the outcome.
What he does is illegal. Assange’s methods and motivations have been questioned, with accusations that he selectively released information to serve specific political agendas, raising ethical concerns about his objectivity and transparency.
More good than harm
To play devil’s advocate, Assange’s work with WikiLeaks has exposed government misconduct, corruption, and human rights abuses, perhaps promoting greater accountability. By releasing classified documents, Assange has championed the principle of freedom of information, arguing that citizens have a right to know what their governments are doing.
Assange’s profile and activism has provided a means for other whistle-blowers to safely disclose information, shedding light on issues that might otherwise remain hidden. Most prominently Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning and Edward Snowden. Snowden now lives in hiding in Russia, as a fugitive from justice.
The leaks have informed the public about significant global issues, sparking debates and leading to policy changes and reforms.
Assange has challenged the concentration of power and secrecy in governments and corporations, advocating for greater democratic oversight and civil liberties.
Legacy
The evaluation of Julian Assange’s impact is disputed. Supporters argue that he has promoted public awareness by exposing government misconduct and advocating for freedom of information.
Critics contend that his actions have endangered lives, strained diplomatic relations, and undermined democratic processes, raising significant legal and ethical concerns.
Ultimately, the assessment hinges on the balance between the right to know and the potential harms caused by the distribution of classified or sensitive information.
One legacy remains. A long line of discarded colleagues and betrayed fellow travellers who showed loyalty to Assange, but to whom no loyalty was shown by him.
Failing to convict Assange could set a precedent that undermines the legal accountability for unauthorised publication of classified materials.
James Neophytou
