Assange announced his run through Wikileaks, the leak-disseminating organization he founded. He's still wanted in Sweden to answer accusations of sexual assault and rape, but according to Wikileaks, that doesn't stop the Australian native from running for a senate seat in his home country.
We have discovered that it is possible for Julian Assange to run for the Australian Senate while detained. Julian has decided to run.— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 17, 2012
Wikileaks didn't announce the state in which Assange would make his electoral bid. It first hinted at a possible Assange run in December, but it didn't seem sure if it would be legal because of his possible extradition.
Question is it possible for JA to run for the Australian Senate from house arrest in another country? #ja4senate— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 25, 2011
According to Australia's constitution, a person can be barred from running for senate if they have "been convicted and is under sentence, or subject to be sentenced, for any offence punishable under the law of the Commonwealth or of a State by imprisonment for one year or longer." Wikileaks pointed to an argument that Assange's status doesn't meet any of these conditions and thus decided that he is free to run.
Wikileaks will also be fielding a candidate to run against Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Lalor, Victoria. Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, has called the release of top-secret information on Wikileaks "grossly irresponsible" and supports an Internet filter to block images of child pornography and abuse.
Meanwhile, Assange is waiting the results of his extradition appeal to Britain's highest court. If it rejects the motion, his last recourse before being shipped off to Sweden is the European Court of Human Rights, located in France.
Do you think Julian Assange has a shot in Australian politics? Sound off in the comments below.