bullshit!
Assange crossed the lines between journalism and espionage.
Then went and abused the asylum diplomatic assylum rules to not duck political or religous persecution. But to keep his criminal ass from jail.

On top of it, he showed no respect for the people who provided them and actually then used his flim flamed protected position to act in-working as a cut out for a foreign country to use wiki-leaks as a knowing accomplice to interfere with foreign government campaigns, by doing not just partisan journalism, but actually committing crimes by pushing hyperbolic fake propaganda , indesperced with nuggets of fact. All the while not divulging that they themselves along with their sources were bad actors they were ACTIVELY coordinating to do illegal activities.

The key point is that assange physically when asked to help hack passwords for a whistle blower. He went from being an unbiased fair journalist. To crossing the line of committing crimes.

It's no different then a member of the press reporting on a war. Picking up a gun and shooting children for oneside because a warlord asks.