Mr. Assange runs the WikiLeaks website, which publishes numerous classified or restricted official reports related to war, espionage and corruption.
In 2010, it released a video from a U.S. military helicopter showing the killing of civilians in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
It also released thousands of classified documents provided by former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These indicate that U.S. forces killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents during the war in Afghanistan.
The revelations became big news, triggering reactions from all corners of the globe and prompting scrutiny of U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.
The United States said the leak endangered the lives of American personnel.
Mr Assange accused of conspiring to break into his military database, External Obtained sensitive information and was charged with 18 crimes.
Efforts were made to bring him to the United States to face prosecution – something he fought for 14 years in some of the world’s highest courts.
Assange has argued that he exposed serious abuses by U.S. armed forces and that the case against him was politically motivated.
