One of the biggest political scandals of 2010 was the lawsuit against Julian Assange. However, contrary to expectations, the charges were brought against him not for the dissemination of classified information, but for a completely different reason.
Julian Assange's name became widely known on the Internet in 2006, after the launch of the WikiLeaks website. The goal of the network project organized by Assange was the publication of classified documents and papers with limited access, for example, intended for diplomatic departments. Everyone who has access to such information has the opportunity to share it through the site. Thus, the creator of WikiLeaks wanted to acquaint the public with the shadow sides of world politics and the activities of special services.
The dissemination of classified information via the Internet has worried many services and departments. The result was an attempt to close the site through the courts and bring Assange to justice. However, such an initiative was not crowned with success.
In August 2010, Assange was nevertheless charged, and on a matter not related to the activities of the well-known website. Two Swedish citizens accused him of rape. The Swedish court closed the case twice, but subsequently issued an international arrest warrant for Julian Assange. At this time, the founder of the website WikiLeaks, fleeing the persecution of the Swedish authorities, had already moved to the UK, known for the fact that it rarely extracts suspects to the authorities of other countries.
The rape charges coincided with yet another scandal surrounding the publication of documents on the WikiLeaks website. This raised suspicions about the political involvement of the prosecution and the fact that the whole case could be prepared for the termination of the site's activities.
In 2011, Assange was arrested by British police but later released on bail. As of the summer of 2012, the UK decided to transfer Assange to Sweden, but he himself plans to apply for political asylum in one of the countries of South America.
