WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange left the United Kingdom on Monday after securing bail from England’s High Court, following extended negotiations with U.S. authorities. U.S. Justice Department court documents show Assange will appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge related to conspiring to obtain and release classified national defense information unlawfully.
Assange was responsible for the release of numerous classified documents concerning the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and Hillary Clinton’s infamous emails. Following his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, Assange will return to his native Australia.
Prosecutors are accepting a five-year sentence inclusive of time spent in British custody, meaning Assange should walk free immediately after sentencing.
Julian is free!!!!
Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU.
Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soon…pic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44
— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024
On Monday, a plane carrying Assange departed England, refueling in Thailand around noon local time (6 AM BST) on Tuesday. Assange had been held in England’s Belmarsh Prison, known for housing jihadists and dangerous killers, for 1,901 days. Prior to that, he spent seven years in the Ecuadorean Embassy until his expulsion following a change in Ecuador’s government.
The official WikiLeaks account and Assange’s family expressed deep gratitude to supporters. On X, Assange’s wife, Stella, celebrated his freedom and thanked those who supported their campaign. Assange’s mother, Christine, also expressed gratitude, revealing the profound personal toll the 14-year ordeal has taken.
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE
Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a…
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024