Julian Assange Freed After Plea Deal with US, Welcomed in Australia

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, walked free after signing a plea deal with the United States. He admitted to violating US espionage laws, which ended a 14-year legal battle. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Assange’s actions had put lives at risk, especially those of Washington’s allies and diplomats.

Assange arrived in Australia to a grand welcome in Canberra, where he hugged his wife Stella and waved at his supporters. Miller emphasized that WikiLeaks published documents without redacting names, exposing individuals who were in contact with the State Department and endangering their lives.

Miller also mentioned that WikiLeaks served as a conduit for Russian intelligence interfering in the US presidential elections. Assange was released from a high-security prison in London and boarded a private jet to leave the UK. He formalized his plea in a US court on the Northern Mariana Islands, closer to Australia, where he will ultimately reside.