Julian Assange is free.

After living in a cell for more than 5 years, he can soon go home and meet his family again.

I’m wondering if it was worth the sacrifice. The governments and tech companies are spying more than ever on everyone.

  • L3s@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Too many rule 3 breaking comments, locking this post. Let’s be excellent to eachother please!

  • kandoh@reddthat.com
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    4 months ago

    I obviously have issues with his actions in '16

    But they were going after him for releasing the footage of the US gunning down civilians. Not his actions during the election.

  • sonovebitch@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Assange has been held in […] Prison on the outskirts of London for five years, and he previously spent seven years in self-exile at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London […] until his asylum was withdrawn and he was forcibly carried out of the embassy and arrested in April 2019.

    12 years… fuck…

  • stoy@lemmy.zip
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    4 months ago

    He is a dick, who used to be important for wikileaks but has kept tergeting specific angles for his leaks, which seems to indicate pushing a political agenda, which reduces trust in him and his platform.

    The work he started is too important to leave in his care.

    Example: During the DNC email leak, Wikileaks was clearly in a rush to publish the documents without removing credit card information and social security numbers, this is just sloppy.

    Assange also worked to draw out the release of documents to increase Wikileaks publicity, this went on far enough that he publicly made announcements of releases that never came.

    Wikileaks also published evidence that the DNC was behind the killing of Seth Rich, a DC staffer that Assange alluded to have given him the emails, this evidence came from a PI who has freely admitted not having seen any emails between Wikileaks and Seth not having seen the laptop containing the emails, or even having spoken with someone who had. The PI in question is a known FOX contributer.

    Assange also seems to have weirdly close ties to Russia, he only had his morning talkshow broadcast on RT, supposedly they were the only ones to take up his show for syndication.

    When he was first exiled, he requested that the Russian security service FSB should handle his security detail.

    Today, the largest sponsor of Wikileaks is the Russian Government.

    All of this speaks to Wikileaks not being the supreme beacon of free speach, but rather part of the Russian propaganda machine.

    I don’t think it started this way, Assange and Wikileaks probably started with the best of intentions, but the reality of our society came into play and Assange/Wikileaks sold thier credibillity for money from the Russian government.

    • groet@infosec.pub
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      4 months ago

      While I agree on the facts I want to offer a slightly different (possible) conclusion: a organisation like wikileaks needs resources and supporters. If they are targeted by all the “good guy”-countries and the only one willing to support them is “evil guy” Russia, then they are not in a position to resist. They chose to compromise their integrity instead of just not existing.

      If the western world wants a whistleblower/leaks organisation that follows journalistic integrity and ethics, they need to fund it even if it leaks their own internal documents.

    • Zoldyck@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      He’s a traitor, and because of him many people died. I hope he’s not ok. Edit: downvote me all you want, but that won’t change the fact that Assange gave very sensitive information to regimes and dictators that has gotten innocent people murdered.

      • gnuhaut@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        Are you talking about the claim that he endangered CIA agents? That was just some bullshit they cooked up to get him on, and I don’t think anybody even claimed that somebody actually died.

        Imagine thinking exposing the CIA should be a crime, because the poor small beans CIA agents need protection. Who wouldn’t want to protect imperial blackmailers, hit men, weapons smugglers and death squad commanders?

        You are the traitor for siding with the oppressor.

        • Alphane Moon@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          You are the traitor for siding with the oppressor.

          Right supporting Lukashenko’s regime is such a noble endeavour!

        • Zoldyck@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Not a bot. Assange helped regimes and dictators to kill US informants. Innocent people in Syria and Belarus for example got murdered because of the information Assange gave them. Look it up if you don’t believe me.

          • pop@lemmy.ml
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            4 months ago

            Regurtitating the same talking points your government uses for people that reveal its atrocities are “bots” no matter how you spin it. There are tankie bots and you are a wankie bot.

            Tell us more about how revealing war crimes and global surveillance are traitors, bot.

            • Zoldyck@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              Try looking up the definition of the word bot. You might learn something today.

          • Alphane Moon@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            Zoldyck is not lying.

            Look up Assange and his connection with Israel Shamir, who helped Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus target opposition activists.

            This wasn’t a mistake, he knew what he was doing.

            People just buy into the PR around him (also spread by security services in russia and not only) without taking a critical look at his actions.

            Do better!