Julian Assange: Liberals feted him, then hated him

When Julian Assange leaves Belmarsh Prison for the Old Bailey on Monday, he will face a court battle lasting up to four weeks as he seeks to avoid being extradited to the United States on espionage charges. The charges, which carry up to 175 years in prison, are controversial on both sides of the Atlantic because of their implications for journalism and the role of whistleblowers. But the Wikileaks founder, once celebrated as a campaigner for transparency and freedom of expression, has been abandoned by many of his former champions in public life amid controversies about his private behaviour and his political allegiances. Assange’s allies claim he has been the victim of a campaign of...