Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, was arrested in 2019 following seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. At the Plan B Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, his family discussed the extensive efforts made to fight his extradition and secure his release, involving over $30 million in campaign and legal fees over 14 years. Stella Assange, John Shipton, and Gabriel Shipton, Julian's family members, emphasized the global nature of the campaign which included thousands of individual donations and support from wealthy Bitcoin enthusiasts. AssangeDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization, played a crucial role with its 10,000 members raising funds for his cause. Gabriel Shipton revealed that substantial financial resources were required for legal fees and awareness campaigns. Following Assange's release, an anonymous Bitcoiner also covered the $520,000 private charter cost needed for his return to Australia, as he was barred from commercial flights. This highlights the broad support within the crypto community for Assange, whose organization faced severe financial blockade by the US government since 2010 for publishing classified documents.

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