WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange awarded the Sydney Peace Prize’s Gold Medal

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was awarded the Sydney Peace Foundation's top honour for exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights on 11 May 2011. Assange, an Australian former computer hacker who is fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, was praised and rewarded with the Sydney Peace Prize's Gold Medal. Assange was arrested in London at Sweden's request in December 2010 and is currently on bail pending his challenge in July 2011 to a British judge's decision to extradite him over allegations of sexual assault.

Though the Peace Prize is awarded annually by the foundation, only three other people in its 14-year history have been awarded the gold award for courage in pursuit of human rights — the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Japanese Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda.

Assange's determination to seek greater transparency and accountability from governments around the world by challenging centuries old practices of government secrecy was acknowledged through the honour.

WikiLeaks founded by Julian Assange created the potential for a new order in journalism and in the free flow of information.

WikiLeaks is the whistleblowing website that has published thousands of cables in which U.S. diplomats give their often candid views on world leaders, to Washington's acute embarrassment. Wikileaks also leaked countless secret documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.