Julian Assange Agrees to Plea Deal with Joe Biden Administration
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has agreed to a plea deal with the Joe Biden administration that could help him avoid imprisonment in the United States. According to federal court documents, Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge related to one of the largest breaches of classified US government material.
If a federal judge approves the agreement, Assange will receive a 62-month sentence, which matches the time he has already served in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison while fighting extradition to the US. This means he could immediately return to his home country, Australia.
WikiLeaks confirmed Assange’s release from Belmarsh and announced that he had been granted bail by the High Court in London. A video posted by WikiLeaks showed Assange boarding a plane at London Stansted Airport.
Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024
The US District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands has scheduled a plea hearing and sentencing for Wednesday morning. Prosecutors explained that Assange preferred not to enter the continental US for his guilty plea, hence the venue near Australia, where he plans to return after the court proceedings.
Assange had been sought by US authorities for publishing confidential military records leaked by Chelsea Manning between 2010 and 2011. He faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment related to the breach, which carried a potential maximum sentence of up to 175 years in prison. However, it was unlikely he would receive the full term.
US officials alleged that Assange had encouraged Manning to obtain extensive amounts of unfiltered US diplomatic cables, potentially endangering confidential sources, as well as significant Iraq war-related reports and Guantanamo Bay detainee information.
President Joe Biden had hinted at a potential deal, supported by Australian government officials, to facilitate Assange’s return to Australia. However, FBI and Justice Department officials insisted that any agreement include a felony guilty plea by Assange.
Last month, a UK court ruled in Assange’s favour, granting him the right to appeal his final challenge against extradition to the US. This decision marked a significant victory for Assange after years of legal battles aimed at avoiding prosecution in the United States for the charges against him.
Assange’s case has drawn international attention and sparked debates over freedom of the press, government transparency, and the legal implications of publishing classified information. His journey from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought asylum for seven years, to incarceration in Belmarsh, and now potentially to a plea deal and return to Australia, has been closely followed by supporters, critics, and legal experts alike.
