An anonymous Bitcoin donor has donated over $500,000 in BTC to the WikiLeaks boss crowdfunding account. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been entangled in a prolonged court struggle since his arrest in April 2019.
Assange faces extradition to the United States on accusations connected to WikiLeaks’ release of sensitive military and diplomatic materials. Supporters of Assange contend that he is being prosecuted for his role in exposing government secrets and advancing transparency and that these accusations are politically motivated.
The $500,000 debt paid by the anonymous Bitcoiner represents a significant portion of these costs, giving Assange’s defense team much-needed relief. WikiLeaks and Assange have been supported by cryptocurrencies. WikiLeaks started accepting Bitcoin donations in 2011 after being cut off from traditional financial services by major payment processors and banks.
Anonymous Donor Donates Over $500,000 in BTC, Others Donates £300,000
Stella Assange has started a crowdfunding account to assist the husband with his outstanding debt after he was made to return to Australia (his home country). Stella published the link to the donation page on June 25, and an anonymous Bitcoin investor paid 8 BTC into the account after 10 hours, which is worth over $520,000 she’d requested.
She also got over £300,000 (approximately $380,000) in fiat as part of the fundraising. The anonymous Bitcoin donor remains the biggest donation. Assange is expected to arrive in Australia without any debts. On June 26, Assange was summoned to appear before the United States District Court, Northern Mariana Islands where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
Assange had argued that the said Espionage Act in which he was charged conflicts with the United States First Amendment – thereby admitting that it is illegal to source and publish classified data. As part of the conditions for his plea, Assange was ordered to destroy all classified data published by WikiLeaks.
Cryptocurrency Community, Experts Reacts to the Anonymous Donation, Hails Process
The Bitcoin community has expressed great gratitude for the donation. Renowned proponent of Bitcoin Roger Ver tweeted, “This is why Bitcoin matters. It gives people the freedom to support causes they care about without interference from the government or censorship.” Elizabeth Stark, co-founder of Lightning Labs, stated, “This donation is a powerful example of how Bitcoin can be used for good.
It’s about more than just money transactions; it’s about empowering freedom and supporting vital causes.” Important considerations concerning the moral and legal ramifications of utilizing cryptocurrencies to back controversial politicians are also brought up by the sizeable Bitcoin payment.
However, Ramona Manglona, the United States District Judge sentenced him to 5 years and two months in federal prison for espionage. Assange, in the past, has spent almost the same number of years in the United Kingdom prison processing his extradition.
Assange Case Persists, Legal Team Continues Fight For His Extradition
Assange’s defense team is still fighting for his extradition to the United States, claiming that his prosecution would seriously jeopardize press freedom and create a hazardous precedent for journalists across the globe. Assange’s supporters are still holding out hope that greater financial backing and public awareness will improve his prospects of eluding extradition.
Recall, that on June 24, Assange gained his freedom in the United Kingdom’s Belmarsh prison after an agreement with the United States government. Assange left the country immediately after his release on a private jet from London to Saipan (a United States Pacific territory). Assange is expected to appear in Saipan District Court on June 26.
He’d pleaded guilty to the one count charge of Espionage; Assange had violated the United States Espionage Act after he’d leaked a government classified documents. The report has it that the decision to move him to Saipan is to save him from setting foot on American soil.
According to Assange’s wife, Stella Assange, in an interview with the local media said that the husband’s freedom came at a cost. Assange was compelled by the Australian government to pay $520,000 for an emergency VJ199 chartered flight to Australia and Saipan.