Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is free, according to the disclosure platform WikiLeaks. He left the maximum security prison near London, where he had been held for five years, and Britain.
Assange reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice under which he would plead guilty in part to the spy scandal and in return be spared further prison time in the US.
According to court documents, the 52-year-old Australian has agreed to plead guilty to a single conspiracy to obtain and distribute classified US defense documents. However, a court must still approve the agreement.
There was already a prison in Great Britain
According to plans, Assange will appear in court this Wednesday in a remote US territory: the Mariana Islands. The archipelago is located in the western Pacific Ocean and falls under US jurisdiction. Then he must travel to Australia. According to American media, Assange will be sentenced to more than five years in prison – which he has already served in Great Britain.
“New phase of freedom”
In a video, Julian Assange’s wife called on his supporters to help the Wikileaks founder after his release. “We plan to set up an emergency fund for Julian’s health and recovery,” Stella Assange said. “I ask you, if you can, to contribute and help us transition to this new phase of Julian’s freedom.”
The video was reportedly shot on June 19. In it, Stella Assange stands in front of London’s Belmarsh Prison, where Assange was imprisoned for more than five years. Wikileaks boss Kristinn Hrafnsson says: “If you see this, it means he’s out,” it said.
‘Glad that martyrdom is finally coming to an end’
“I am grateful that my son’s martyrdom has finally come to an end,” Australian broadcaster ABC quoted a statement from the mother of WikiLeaks founder Christine Assange on Tuesday. “This shows how important and powerful silent diplomacy is.”
The US government accuses Assange of stealing and publishing classified material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, endangering the lives of US informants. However, Assange’s supporters see him as a target of the Washington judiciary because of his exposure of American war crimes.
If Assange is convicted without an agreement with prosecutors, he could face up to 175 years in prison for espionage.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
