In a landmark development on Monday, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was finally released from prison after an arduous legal battle spanning over 14 years. Assange, who had been incarcerated since 2019, had fought tirelessly to defend the principles of transparency and free speech.

Assange's journey began in 2006 when he launched WikiLeaks, a groundbreaking whistleblower website that allowed individuals to anonymously submit classified documents and videos. Over the years, the platform published an array of leaks that caused diplomatic disputes, forced policy changes, and exposed wrongful actions by governments and corporations.

One of the most shocking revelations came in 2009 when WikiLeaks released the Minton Report, exposing the dumping of toxic waste by the multinational company Trafigura in the Ivory Coast. The report revealed the potentially fatal consequences of the dumping and led to serious repercussions for the company.

In 2010, WikiLeaks embarked on the construction of the Public Library of US Diplomacy (PLUSD) - an extensive collection of 3,326,538 US diplomatic cables. These cables, spanning from 1966 to 2010, shed light on the perceptions of foreign officials by American diplomats and unveiled frustrations within governments worldwide.

During the same year, WikiLeaks exposed classified documents on the US war in Afghanistan, painting a disturbingly different picture of the conflict compared to the official narrative propagated by Washington. The platform also revealed nearly 400,000 secret files on the Iraq war, highlighting the higher civilian death toll than previously reported.

One of the most impactful leaks occurred in April 2010 when WikiLeaks released video footage exposing a US Apache helicopter attack that resulted in the deaths of unarmed individuals, including journalists, in Baghdad. This gruesome incident provoked global outrage and led to increased scrutiny of military actions.

In subsequent years, WikiLeaks unearthed secret documents that revealed the wrongful imprisonment of innocent individuals, the involvement of European companies in human rights abuses in Syria, and the extent of US surveillance on foreign officials and civilians. These leaks not only provoked international discussions but also prompted reforms in several areas.

Furthermore, WikiLeaks released confidential emails and documents from the 2014 cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, uncovering issues of pay disparity in Hollywood and shedding light on the inner workings of the entertainment industry.

In 2016, WikiLeaks exposed thousands of emails from the US Democratic Party, revealing potential biased behavior within the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 presidential race. These leaks resulted in the resignation of several high-ranking party officials and raised questions about the integrity of the election process.

While the impact of WikiLeaks' leaks cannot be denied, it is important to note that the platform's ability to publish documents has been significantly hampered following Assange's imprisonment, heightened government surveillance, and funding cuts. Nevertheless, the profound impact of the whistleblower website on global affairs cannot be underestimated.

Assange's release after years of legal battles serves as a significant moment for advocates of transparency and freedom of expression. As the world observes the aftermath of WikiLeaks' impactful leaks, the controversy surrounding the platform and its founder is likely to persist, with many questioning the boundaries of press freedom and government accountability.