Ex-WikiLeaks staff to launch rival site in protest against ‘autocratic’ Assange

LONDON - A group of former Wikileaks staff who quit the whistleblower website would reportedly launch a new campaigning site next week to protest against Julian Assange, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

Nyheter said that a decision was made to launch the site, Openleaks, in protest against Julian Assange.

“Our long-term goal is to build a strong, transparent platform to support whistle-blowers, both in terms of technology and politics, while at the same time encouraging others to start similar projects,” The Telegraph quoted a source connected to the new site as saying in the Swedish newspaper.

He also said that a short-term goal was to complete the technical infrastructure and ensure that “the organisation continues to be democratically governed by all its members, rather than limited to one group or individual”, an apparent reference to Assange’s leading role at WikiLeaks.

The report with the headline “‘New WikiLeaks’ rebels against Assange”, said the person wished to remain anonymous.

Unusually, the newspaper printed the article in both English and Swedish on the front page of its website, the paper said.

According to the news report, although the new website was also aimed at providing the means for whistle-blowers to publish information, it would not itself publish information directly. Instead, other organisations would access the Openleaks system and then present their audience with the material, the paper said.

Documents would reportedly be processed and published by various collaborating groups like the media, non-profit organisations, trade unions or other groups.

“As a result of our intention not to publish any document directly and in our own name, we do not expect to experience the kind of political pressure which WikiLeaks is under at this time,” the paper quoted another person, as saying.

Assange’s website had recently leaked 250,000 secret documents from the US military, and claims to be holding many more. He was arrested in Britain earlier this week on sexual assault charges. (ANI)