WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is poised for freedom following his guilty plea to a US espionage charge, concluding his extensive legal ordeal and enabling his return to Australia.
Assange, 52, confessed to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and release classified US defense documents, according to court records from the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. This agreement entails a sentence of 62 months, which aligns with the time he has already served.
In a statement, WikiLeaks confirmed Assange’s departure from Belmarsh prison in the UK on Monday. Following a High Court bail, he boarded a VistaJet flight. “This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators, and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations,” WikiLeaks announced on social media.
A video clip posted by WikiLeaks captured Assange signing a document before boarding the private jet. His wife, Stella Assange, expressed immense gratitude to supporters worldwide, saying, “Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU – yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration has persistently advocated for Assange’s release. While the Australian government refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal processes, a spokesperson emphasized, “Prime Minister Albanese has been clear – Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration.”
Assange’s 2010 arrest in Britain, subsequent asylum in Ecuador’s embassy, and eventual imprisonment have drawn global attention and controversy. His prosecution, initially pursued under former President Donald Trump’s administration, has been criticized by press freedom advocates as a significant threat to journalism and free speech.
The saga began with WikiLeaks’ release of over 700,000 classified US documents, detailing military operations and diplomatic communications, the largest breach of its kind in US history. Among these was a 2007 video showing a US Apache helicopter attack in Iraq, which killed multiple individuals, including two Reuters journalists.
Jameel Jaffer, Executive Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, commented on the plea deal, stating, “A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day. It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world.”
Assange’s legal journey has seen numerous twists, including his initial arrest over now-dropped sex-crime allegations in Sweden, his asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy, and his prolonged fight against US extradition from Belmarsh prison. Throughout his confinement, he married his partner Stella, with whom he has two children.
This pivotal moment marks the end of Assange’s prolonged battle and a significant chapter in the ongoing debate over press freedom and government transparency.
