U.S Justice System Accepts Guilty Plea from Assange; Wikileaks Reports His Freedom
Julian Assange, known for his work with WikiLeaks, is facing allegations of leaking around 700,000 secret documents about US military and diplomatic activities since 2010. These documents contained classified info about wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including reports of civilian casualties and mistreatment of prisoners by US troops.
Documents unveiled early Tuesday indicate that Assange would admit to one conspiracy charge, involving obtaining and spreading info for national security purposes. Assange is set to appear before a US Federal Court in a Pacific territory on Wednesday at 9:00 am (local time, 1:00 am EST).
With this potential sentence, Assange, who has already served 52 months in the UK prison, could return to his native land, Australia.
WikiLeaks confirmed Assange's departure from the British prison he'd been in since 2019. In a post, they declared, "Julian Assange is free!" They shared a 13-second video of Assange stepping onto an airplane.
Stella Assange, his wife, expressed her joy on X, stating, "Julian is free!!". The Australian government endorsed the outcome but showed annoyance at the prolonged legal process.
Assange spent a decade behind bars. For seven years, he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and an additional five years in the high-security British prison Belmarsh.
This settlement occurs just two weeks before a significant British court hearing starting on July 9. During the proceedings, the possibility of Assange's extradition to the US was to be debated. After a court decision in June 2022, the British government consented to Assange's extradition. In the US, he could potentially face sentencing of up to 175 years under the Espionage Act.
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- Despite facing allegations of mistreatment during his time in prison, Julian Assange finally secured a deal with the U.S justice system, accepting a guilty plea for conspiring to obtain and disclose classified information.
- The deal comes as a relief for Assange, who has spent a decade in prison, including seven years seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and an additional five years in the high-security British prison Belmarsh.
- The U.S justice system's acceptance of Assange's guilty plea has opened the door for his potential return to his native land, Australia, where he could serve any remaining sentence.
- The mistreatment of prisoners by US troops and reports of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, as revealed through the 700,000 leaked documents, contributed to the international controversy surrounding Assange's case.
- The confession of guilt on one charge does not absolve Assange from the possibility of facing charges related to his work with WikiLeaks in other countries, including Great Britain and the US, where he could face sentencing under the Espionage Act.
