WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has reached a deal with the U.S. government to secure his freedom after being detained for five years in a British prison.
Assange reportedly pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act by participating in a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information.
Court documents were filed Monday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory located in the Pacific Ocean.
NBC News reports that Assange is expected to appear in court to be sentenced to 62 months, which include time served at Belmarsh prison in London.
A video posted to the WikiLeaks account on X shows Assange boarding a flight at London Stansfield Airport at 5 p.m. (BST) to return to his native country of Australia, which has condemned the U.S. for prosecuting him.
"After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars," WikiLeaks wrote. "WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know."
The organization added: "As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom." 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
In May, the UK High Court ruled that Assange had the right to a full appeal against extradition to the U.S. If extradited at the time, he faced 175 years in prison for publishing classified material about wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In April, President Joe Biden indicated that his administration was considering dropping efforts to prosecute the WikiLeaks founder.
“We’re considering it,” said the president at the time.
According to unnamed sources who spoke with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), officials within the DOJ confirmed they were considering allowing Assange to plead guilty to a reduced charge of mishandling classified information.
The U.S. indictment charged Assange with 17 counts under the Espionage Act, a move that some observers argued could criminalize common practices in investigative journalism.
The allegations suggested that Assange conspired with Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, to hack into U.S. military databases, which led to the publication of sensitive documents that exposed military and diplomatic secrets.
This case has raised profound questions about the balance between national security and freedom of the press. Assange and his supporters argue that his actions were those of a journalist exposing governmental wrongdoings and deserving of protection under the First Amendment. Critics, however, see him as a threat to national security, accusing him of recklessly endangering lives through the mass release of classified documents.
A previous version of this article did not include footage of Assange boarding the flight out of the U.K. or comments from WikiLeaks on X. The article has been revised to clarify that Assange has already been freed from prison.
