WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walked out of a court on the US Pacific island territory of Saipan on Wednesday, declared a “free man” after reaching a plea deal that will allow him to return to Australia.
During a three-hour hearing, Julian Assange pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defense documents. He acknowledged that his actions violated US espionage laws, despite believing they were protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which safeguards freedom of speech.
Chief US District Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted Julian Assange’s guilty plea and ordered his release, noting time already served in a British jail.
Julian Assange, 52, departed Saipan on a private jet accompanied by Australia’s ambassadors to the US and UK, according to flight records. Their destination is Canberra, with an expected arrival just before 7 pm (0900 GMT).
The decision to hold the hearing in Saipan was due to Julian Assange’s reluctance to travel to the mainland US and its proximity to Australia, prosecutors explained.
The courtroom, packed with media from around the world, barred filming but attracted significant attention from reporters covering the historic plea deal.
“This isn’t something that has happened in the last 24 hours,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented in a news conference, emphasizing ongoing efforts by Australia to advocate for Julian Assange’s release.
Julian Assange, an Australian national, endured over five years in a British high-security prison and spent seven years inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, evading extradition to Sweden on sex crime charges and later fighting against US extradition for 18 criminal charges related to WikiLeaks’ disclosures.
Supporters view Julian Assange as a whistleblower who exposed US government wrongdoing, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, while US officials argue that the disclosures endangered lives and national security.
