The Icelandic investigative journalist and former exfaceWikiLeaks' Kristinn Hrafnsson will become the new editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, replacing him Julian Assange.
The announcement was made late on Wednesday in a statement issued through him official account of WikiLeaks on Twitter.
Assange spent six months in seclusion in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has lived since 2012, when the Ecuadorian government severed his connection to Internet and suspended his right to receive visitors from March 28.
The founder of WikiLeaks fled to the embassy to avoid extradition Sweden. At the time, he was accused of sexual assault. Assange has since remained in the embassy as he is still at risk of being arrested by British authorities for breaching the terms of his original bail by fleeing to the Ecuadorian embassy (where he found asylum).
Kristinn Hrafnsson has been for many years with Assange and a very respected journalist in his home country in Iceland, having obtained too many awards for his work.
He met with the WikiLeaks founder around 2009 and his immediate involvement as a website representative began the following year when Assange was arrested at the end of 2010 for sexual assault in Sweden. Hrafnsson remained in the same position until 2016.
During this time, Hrafnsson was reportedly the only person who allowed Assange to access sensitive information received by the site.
From his first public statement, Kristinn Hrafnsson sought to raise public awareness of Assange's situation.
"I condemn the treatment of Julian Assange in my new role, but welcome the opportunity to ensure that important work continues in the WikiLeaks ideals."
________________________________
- Julian Assange - Lennin Moreno: Clouds in relationship and limitations
- Online Truth yesterday today and tomorrow
