> "If the Russian government wants to leak information, why do they need WikiLeaks?"
One doesn't always want to be known as the source of information, for a variety of reasons.
> "Also, I'm curious, where is the line between investigative journalism and criminal disclosure of information?"
Can depend on the jurisdiction and one's own perspective. The "ethical dilemmas" section of this Wikipedia article on ethics in journalism provides a taste:
He's in custody awaiting his extradition hearing, which is perfectly normal. (Do we need to explain why granting Assange bail would probably be a bad idea?)
Perfectly normal is a bit of a stretch here, right? Unless you mean that putting accused people to solitary confinement (while waiting for a trial) for extended periods of time is perfectly normal in UK.
He could have walked out of the Ecuador embassy in England and gone to court; instead, he chose to wait for seven years in the hopes of waiting it out.
I have zero sympathies for the guy. His intentions might have been honorable, but when you play with fire, you are bound to get burned.
One doesn't always want to be known as the source of information, for a variety of reasons.
> "Also, I'm curious, where is the line between investigative journalism and criminal disclosure of information?"
Can depend on the jurisdiction and one's own perspective. The "ethical dilemmas" section of this Wikipedia article on ethics in journalism provides a taste:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_ethics_and_standard...