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By Jason Moore

IF anyone thought that the criminal allegations which have been levelled against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would lead to his downfall then they were seriously mistaken. I would say that the credibility of Assange has actually increased since he was sent to prison.

He has gone from being an unknown internet boffin to a person who is now seen as a campaigner for press freedom and democracy. His international standing has never been higher and if his arrest was politically motivated then his opponents have scored an own goal. WikiLeaks is no longer the story, it is Julian Assange and his campaign for justice.

The whole affair and his band of international supporters has also underlined another important fact, the need for press freedom. Assange has said that he formed WikiLeaks because investigative journalism had all but disappeared. In some ways he is correct. The fact that WikiLeaks was chosen instead of the more mainstream media to leak a series of State Department cables is a clear sign that the media is changing. Assange´s release from jail on Thursday night was screened live across the globe. His struggle for justice is going to continue to hug the headlines for many weeks to come. Quite an incredible state of affairs.