Julian Assange
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, rose to global prominence in 2010 after publishing classified materials provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. Among these releases were U.S. diplomatic cables—famously known as "Cablegate"—which exposed corruption worldwide and helped catalyze the Arab Spring. These disclosures prompted a rigorous U.S. investigation, with officials claiming the leaks caused "serious damage" and jeopardized the safety of American diplomats and citizens. However, General Robert Carr, head of the Information Review Task Force (IRTF), later testified that his team found no evidence of any deaths resulting directly from the WikiLeaks publications. In November 2010, Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange on unrelated allegations, leading him to seek refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London. He was eventually granted political asylum based on fears that he would be extradited to the United States. This sanctuary lasted...