WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with US and be freed from prison | Fox 59
WikiLeaks Founder Reaches Plea Agreement
Washington: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty in a US court to revealing military secrets, according to court documents released Monday night. This deal, aimed at ending his lengthy legal battle, involves pleading guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defense information.
Assange, currently in custody in Britain, will appear in a US court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, on Wednesday morning local time. WikiLeaks reported early Tuesday morning that “Julian Assange is free” and that he had left Britain.
Sentencing and Potential Return to Australia
Assange is expected to receive a 62-month prison sentence, with credit for the five years he has already served in a British prison. This means he could soon return to his native Australia. Assange, now 52, was sought by Washington for publishing hundreds of thousands of secret US documents from 2010 as head of WikiLeaks.
During his legal ordeal, Assange became a hero to free speech advocates but was viewed as a villain by those who believed he jeopardized US national security by exposing secrets. US authorities aimed to prosecute Assange for revealing military secrets related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
End of a 14-Year Legal Saga
The plea agreement is expected to conclude Assange’s nearly 14-year legal drama. He was indicted by a US federal grand jury in 2019 on 18 counts related to WikiLeaks’ publication of national security documents. The deal was announced two weeks before Assange was set to appear in a British court to appeal a ruling approving his extradition to the United States.
Assange has been detained in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison since April 2019. He was arrested after spending seven years in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced sexual assault accusations that were eventually dropped.
Controversial Publications and Legal Battles
The material released by WikiLeaks included video footage of civilians being killed by US helicopter fire in Iraq in 2007, including two Reuters journalists. The US charged Assange under the 1917 Espionage Act, with supporters warning he could face up to 175 years in prison.
The British government approved his extradition in June 2022. In May, two British judges allowed Assange to appeal the extradition, raising questions about whether he would receive First Amendment protections as a foreigner on trial in the US.
Political Pressure and Plea Deal
President Joe Biden faced increasing pressure to drop the case against Assange. In February, the Australian government formally requested this, and Biden indicated he would consider it, offering hope to Assange’s supporters.
This plea deal marks a significant turn in Assange’s lengthy legal battle, potentially allowing him to return to Australia and bring an end to his years of turmoil.
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