‘Pak’, a well-known digital artist, is teaming up with Wikileaks to present an NFT collection in honour of its imprisoned founder, Julian Assange. In an effort to increase pressure on Assange’s release, the NFT collection will also benefit the Wau Holland Foundation, a German-based charity that has raised millions of dollars for Wikileaks.
The album, named ‘Censored,’ will be released on February 7th. It will be divided into two parts: a dynamic 1/1 NFT with a picture that changes over time based on smart contract data, and a dynamic open edition in which anybody may participate.
Julian Assange’s Extradition
The collection is part of a renewed attempt to free Assange, who was charged with conspiracy charges in 2019 and is currently facing extradition to the United States.
Prior to his arrest, Assange was well-known for disclosing massive databases of censored or otherwise restricted official papers concerning war, corruption, and intelligence. He referred to his methods as ‘scientific journalism,’ because the little editorial commentary was supplied, or maybe required when such material was published.
Though unrelated to the collection, FreeAssangeDAO, an official entity established in the name of Assange’s release, intends to make a bid on the dynamic NFT. The DAO is modelled after the FreeRossDAO, which has a similar principle but features Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, as its topic.
In January, Assange obtained the opportunity to appeal the ruling to the UK Supreme Court, postponing his prospective extradition even further.
Wikileaks was once situated in France, and Assange’s children still live there, but his attorneys stated in 2020 that his absence from French territory would delay the procedure. Four French MPs are urging for Julian Assange to be granted refuge in France, as the Wikileaks founder continues to resist extradition from the UK to the US.
Two years later, Assange is still fighting extradition to the United States, where he would stand prosecution for leaking a cache of sensitive military papers more than a decade ago.
In December 2021, the UK’s High Court overruled a lower court’s decision that Assange could not be extradited owing to worries about his mental health.
The bottom line
US officials want Australian-born Assange, 50, who is now being held in London awaiting a decision on his extradition, to stand trial on 18 counts related to Wikileaks’ revelation of large troves of sensitive US military data and diplomatic cables, which they claim endangered lives.
Pak’s collection follows the anonymous creator’s monumental The Merge NFT project, which earned over $90 million from its 250,000 pieces, making it the highest-grossing collection on the Nifty Gateway platform.
