Julian Assange names his replacement as WikiLeaks editor-in-chief

WikiLeaks on Wednesday, September 26 announced Icelandic investigative journalist Kristinn Hrafnsson would take over from founder Julian Assange as editor-in-chief.

Assange will continue to be the publisher of WikiLeaks, a not-for-profit organisation that publishes classified documents provided by anonymous sources.

WikiLeaks said a new editor-in-chief had been appointed due to the "extraordinary circumstances" of Assange having been held in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London without any contact for six months aside from his lawyers.

Hrafnsson was a spokesperson for WikiLeaks from 2010–2016, and has since overseen certain legal projects for WikiLeaks, the organisation said.

"I condemn the treatment of Julian Assange that leads to my new role," Hrafnsson said in a statement. "But I welcome the responsibility to secure the continuation of the important work based on WikiLeaks ideals."

Ecuador granted Australian-born Assange asylum in August 2012 after he sought refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he denied.

Assange said Sweden would eventually extradite him to the United States to face prosecution for WikiLeaks' publication of leaked classified military and diplomatic documents.

Although Sweden dropped the case in May 2017, Assange could still be arrested by UK authorities for breaching the conditions of his bail agreement.

Earlier this year, Ecuador said it had granted Assange citizenship.

Deutsche Welle, or DW, is Germany's public international broadcaster