WikiLeaks founder to speak at metaverse rally

On 26 August, in a non-profit metaverse Wistaverse within The Sandbox ecosystem, a rally will be held as part of the campaign against the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Cointelegraph reports.

Assange will personally address the virtual event, likely via video link from a London prison. Stella Assange, WikiLeaks co-founder and editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, and British politician Jeremy Corbyn will also take part in the protest.

Since 2012, the founder of WikiLeaks has been charged in the United States with conspiring to obtain and disclose information that constitutes state secrets. In 2019 he was arrested in London.

In June 2022, Britain’s Home Secretary Priti Patel approved Assange’s extradition to the United States, where he faces up to 175 years in prison. He later filed an appeal, but in June 2023 the court rejected it.

The digital political campaign “Don’t Extradite Assange” was planned by the WikiLeaks founder himself and his family to attract more attention and garner support.

The rally will be held in a virtual audience resembling the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where the final appeal hearing in the case is scheduled.

In February 2022, digital artist Pak announced a collaboration with Assange to launch a line of NFTs called Censored.

In the same month, AssangeDAO, created to aid in freeing the WikiLeaks founder from prison, raised 12,732 ETH (about $39.1 million at the time).