Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Freed From Prison — Set to Plead Guilty in US Deal

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison after serving five years, following a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). “This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations,” Wikileaks detailed, adding that Assange left Belmarsh maximum security prison on June 24.

‘Julian Assange Is Free,’ Wikileaks Announced

Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, has been released from prison after serving five years. His release comes as a result of a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), marking a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention for over a decade. Wikileaks shared on social media platform X on Monday:

Julian Assange is free.

“He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK,” Wikileaks detailed.

“This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized,” Wikileaks added.

According to court papers filed late Monday, Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department, concluding a prolonged legal saga. Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court in the Mariana Islands on Wednesday to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge for conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information.

This guilty plea, pending judicial approval, concludes the U.S. government’s extensive pursuit of Assange. Prosecutors have agreed to a sentence equivalent to the five years the Wikileaks founder has already spent in a high-security British prison while resisting extradition to the U.S. to face charges. The hearing is being held in the Mariana Islands due to Assange’s opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the court’s proximity to Australia.

What do you think about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange being released after agreeing to plead guilty in a U.S. deal? Let us know in the comments section below. #Write2Earn