Julian Assange film ‘Risk’ offers an inside look at controversial Wikileaks founder
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Julian Assange film ‘Risk’ offers an inside look at controversial Wikileaks founder
| Steven Zeitchik |
New administrations can mean a change in fortunes for controversial figures. But a Hillary Clinton presidency would not improve the status of Julian Assange, say those aligned with the Wikileaks founder, who remains in Ecuador’s London embassy pending a Swedish extradition request.
In fact, they argue, it could well do the opposite.
“Under Clinton [Assange’s situation] will possibly get worse,” said Wikileaks staffer Jacob Applebaum.
Clinton was secretary of State when Wikileaks released a trove of classified cables in 2010, many of them sensitive or embarrassing to the U.S. government. Applebaum noted a meeting he had with a senior Clinton staffer at the time that he said carried with it an air of intimidation. (Incidentally and not unexpectedly, Applebaum was hardly bullish on Donald Trump either. “I don’t have any ideas about other candidates but I don’t think they have any ideas either.”)
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