The Norwegian politician who proposed it announced that anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, following the nomination deadline. Nominations are accepted until February 1 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, with panel members having until the end of the month to suggest their own candidates. According to Norwegian parliamentarian Snorre Valen, WikiLeaks is a significant advocate for freedom of speech and transparency, making it a strong candidate for the prestigious award due to its exposure of corruption, human rights violations, and war crimes. Nominations can be made by members of national parliaments, law or political science professors, and previous winners. The committee did not provide any comments regarding the WikiLeaks proposal or other nominations. Washington is angered by WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange for releasing numerous secret documents and diplomatic cables that have allegedly damaged US interests abroad, including peace efforts. Assange, an Australian, is facing extradition from Britain to Sweden for questioning in a sex case, which he and his supporters claim is a smear campaign aimed at shutting down WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization funded by the public and rights groups. Awarding WikiLeaks the Nobel Prize could lead to criticism of the Nobel Committee, which has faced controversy with its recent choices of jailed Chinese pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo and President Barack Obama shortly after his election. The definition of the Nobel Prize, established by Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, was intended to be awarded to individuals who have worked towards promoting peace and unity between nations, reducing standing armies, and organizing peace congresses. In recent years, the committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament has expanded Nobel's definition to include areas such as human rights, climate activism, and micro-financing, much to the dismay of traditionalists. Observers of the Nobel Prize believe that awarding a prize to WikiLeaks would emphasize the increasing influence of specialized Internet platforms and social media in instigating global change. Platforms like Twitter and YouTube have played vital roles in mobilizing populations in countries where government-controlled media restricts information, like Egypt. Kristian Berg Harpviken from the PRIO peace think tank in Oslo suggests that the innovative use of "new tools for bringing about peace" could be a key theme for this year's Nobel Prize, and he predicts that a woman will be the recipient following a streak of male winners. He believes that the Russian human rights group Memorial and its leader, Svetlana Gannushkina, are strong contenders for the prize.