In releasing documents without any review of documents, people died
Well that was the claim, but I don’t recall that it was ever validated. However they (wikileaks) did uncover “official activity” that certainly killed people and had been covered up. Who can forget the apache gunship opening fire on civilians and then the ambulance that tried to help them, is that what you would prefer to protect, war crimes and propaganda? wikileaks was a reaction to the routine cover ups of governments, if they don’t want organisations like wikileaks maybe governments of supposed democratic countries need to start being more honest. Frankly his “crimes” of releasing classified documents without review pales into insignificance with secretive states we have become and the use of misinformation as a standard governmental tool.
That said I have no evidence to offer that he isn’t a prick, other than to suspect a smear job. I also have no evidence to offer that he doesn’t have a superfluous mammary gland or the worlds smallest penis.
I don’t particularly care about Assange, but I do care that western governments have effectively shut down whistle-blowers exposing state corruption and crimes.