Wikileaks founder Assange to write autobiography for over $1 million

Wikileaks founder Assange to write autobiography for over $1 million

2010-12-27 17:46:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Sunday ageed to write an autobiography for a British and U.S. publishing house in a deal worth over $1 million to cover legal expenses, British media reported.

Assange, 39, from Australia, stated to be writing a book in order to cover his expenses as he continues to face legal procedures over sex crime allegations. "I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he told the Sunday Times. "I have already spent £200,000 ($309,000) for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."

According to the interview, Assange would receive 325,000 British pounds ($502,000) from U.K. publisher Canongate Books Ltd. and $800,000 from U.S. publishing house Alfred A. Knopf, which is a unit of Random House.

The manuscript is expected to be delivered in 2011 although specific publishing dates or schedules have not been mentioned.

Assange was arrested earlier this month at a London police station where he arrived by appointment. He is wanted in Sweden on accusations of sexual molestation and rape, unrelated to his work for the controversial whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks which brought diplomatic hurricanes to the United States this year when it began releasing classified documents it had obtained.

The organization's first big scoop was on April 5 when it released a classified video which showed a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack in Iraq which left several civilians killed, including two unarmed Reuters journalists.

Assange was recently granted conditional as he awaits a decision on whether he should be extradited to Sweden to face the allegations. His surety was set at 240,000 British pounds ($380,000) and was ordered to submit to a curfew from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. He also has to report to a police station every day at 6 p.m and surrender his passport.

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