WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act, ending an almost 15-year legal battle with the U.S. government. Assange, 52, is expected to appear in a U.S. courtroom on the Northern Mariana Islands this Wednesday, court records revealed.
As part of the plea agreement, Assange will be sentenced to 62 months in prison but will receive credit for the five years he has already spent in a U.K. prison. He will not spend additional time in U.S. custody and is expected to return to Australia after the court hearing.
Assange was indicted in 2019 on charges of illegally obtaining and disseminating classified information about U.S. military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan through his WikiLeaks website. He was accused of working with U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Defense Department computer and publish sensitive documents.
The plea agreement brings to a close Assange’s legal struggles, which began in 2010 when he faced rape and sexual assault allegations in Sweden. He sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition and remained there until his arrest in 2019.
Assange’s supporters, including his wife Stella Assange, celebrated the news. Stella shared a video on social media of Assange boarding a plane at London’s Stansted Airport, expressing immense gratitude to everyone who supported his cause.
WikiLeaks praised the global campaign that led to the plea deal and highlighted Assange’s work in exposing government corruption and human rights abuses.
The U.S. Justice Department expects Assange to return to Australia, as President Joe Biden had indicated consideration of a request from Australia to allow Assange to return home. This marks a significant turn in the prolonged legal saga that has seen Assange detained and fighting extradition for years.
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