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Julian Assange is no martyr, but the Trump administration’s continued pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder ended up making him one — in the eyes of many Australians.
In his home country, Assange had long been a darling of human rights lawyers, hard-left and far-right figures who took up his cause, mostly motivated by an anti-deep-state mentality.
Seen by some as an attention-seeking narcissist who thought himself above the law and continually fell out with those around him, Assange was a difficult figure for ordinary people to like — despite the various celebrities, including Hollywood actor Pamela Anderson, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and British rap star M.I.A. who appeared hypnotized by a charm few others saw.