Who is Julian Assange and why is the embattled WikiLeaks founder now on the verge of freedom?
A plea deal with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will bring a stunning conclusion to an international saga of the quixotic hacker who exposed government secrets.
The deal reached with the US Justice Department will lead to freedom for Assange after the Australian spent 12 years either in self-exile or prison.
This is a look at Assange, the case and the latest developments.
Who is Julian Assange?
An Australian editor and publisher, he is best known for having founded the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, which gained massive attention — and notoriety — for the 2010 release of almost half a million documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
His activism made him a cause célèbre among press freedom advocates who said his work in exposing US milita...