WikiLeaks announced that the website is temporarily suspending operations because of a lack of funds. “We are forced to temporarily suspend publishing whilst we secure our economic survival,” says a statement on the WikiLeaks website. “For almost a year we have been fighting an unlawful financial blockade.”

WikiLeaks says the leaks it has published has ‘triggered aggressive retaliation from powerful groups’. The website says an arbitrary and unlawful financial blockade has been imposed on it by Bank of America, VISA, MasterCard, PayPal and Western Union. The attack has destroyed 95 per cent of the site’s revenue, it says. It is not immediately apparent when the site will start functioning again.

Julian Assange is the journalist and activist best known as the founder and public face of WikiLeaks. Given what WikiLeaks says is the high level assassination threats against WikiLeaks staff, it does not disclose details of its team members.