Simonyan Calls WikiLeaks Founder Assange 'Greatest Journalist Of Our Era'

Simonyan Calls WikiLeaks Founder Assange 'Greatest Journalist of Our Era'

VLADIVOSTOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2019) The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is the greatest journalist of the modern era, who will definitely go down in history, RT and Sputnik Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said on Sunday.

"I think Assange is the greatest journalist of our era and our greatest contemporary. I believe that Assange is a person who will definitely go down in history if the world develops at least a little bit like we are used to," she said, speaking on the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" tv show aired by Rossiya-1 channel.

According to Simonyan, the founder of WikiLeaks changed the world for the better by showing people the truth.

"Assange did what journalism is obliged to do, for what it exists. He changed the world for the better by showing the truth to the world and this is the purpose of journalism," she added.

The arrest of world-famous whistleblower Julian Assange after seven years of taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in April is still making headlines.

He is currently serving a one-year sentence in the United Kingdom for jumping bail by taking shelter in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

The founder of the well-known organization that publishes leaks from anonymous sources had to seek refuge in the embassy of the Latin American nation due to rape allegations, following his visit to Sweden in 2010. He denied all the allegations against him. In 2017, Sweden dropped the probe against him.

Yet, a British warrant for him for violating bail conditions remained. Back in 2010 he surrendered to UK police and was released on bail. Yet he breached his bail conditions after he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

On Thursday the US Department of Justice indicted Assange on various charges, including conspiracy to obtain, receive and disclose national defense information and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison for allegedly engaging in espionage activities.