Julian Assange awarded Konrad Wolf Prize by Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste in Berlin will award its annual Konrad Wolf Prize to Julian Assange, the Australian activist and WikiLeaks founder, though he is unlikely to attend the October ceremony due to his detention at Belmarsh top security prison in London. Since 2019, Assange has been fighting extradition to the US, where he faces charges related to hacking and assisting former army private Chelsea Manning in one of the largest compromises of classified information in US history. The jury praised Assange for exposing illegal state actions, war crimes, and cover-ups, stating his work embodies journalistic awareness-building and aims to change the world by democratic means. The prize includes a €5,000 fund. Previous winners include filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, director Alexander Lang, and documentary filmmaker Heidi Specogna.
Key facts
- Akademie der Künste in Berlin awards Konrad Wolf Prize to Julian Assange
- Assange is held at Belmarsh top security prison in London
- He has been fighting extradition to the US since 2019
- Charges involve hacking and assisting Chelsea Manning
- Jury statement highlights Assange's exposure of state actions and war crimes
- Prize includes €5,000 fund
- October ceremony unlikely to be attended by Assange
- Previous winners include Abderrahmane Sissako, Alexander Lang, Heidi Specogna
Entities
Artists
- Julian Assange
- Chelsea Manning
- Abderrahmane Sissako
- Alexander Lang
- Heidi Specogna
Institutions
- Akademie der Künste
- WikiLeaks
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- Belmarsh top security prison
- United States
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Abu Ghraib Prison
- Guantánamo Bay Naval Base
- Cuba