Julian Assange Released After Five Years in Prison
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been released from Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison after spending five years in detention. Assange, who is 52 years old, left the United Kingdom on June 24, following a plea agreement with the US justice system. According to WikiLeaks, he boarded a flight at Stansted Airport in the afternoon and headed to Australia.
Plea Agreement and Legal Proceedings
The plea agreement with the US justice system is a significant development in Assange's long-standing legal battle. He is expected to appear in federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, on Wednesday. During this appearance, Assange is anticipated to plead guilty to 'conspiracy to obtain and disclose information relating to national defense.' This plea could result in a sentence of up to 62 months in prison. However, since Assange has already served a similar amount of time in preventive detention in London, it is likely that he will be able to return to Australia as a free man.
A Long and Controversial Legal Journey
Assange's release marks the end of a nearly 14-year-long saga. Since 2019, Assange has been held in a high-security prison in London, fighting extradition to the United States. He was arrested by British police in April 2019 after spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The US authorities have accused him of publishing over 700,000 confidential documents on military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. These publications included a video showing civilians and two Reuters journalists being killed by a US helicopter gunship in Iraq in 2007. While Assange's actions have been hailed by press freedom advocates, investigators argue that he violated laws protecting sensitive information and endangered US security.
The British government approved his extradition in June 2022, but Assange was granted the right to appeal. His appeal was scheduled to be examined on July 9 and 10. Assange's case has garnered significant international attention, with numerous calls for US President Joe Biden to drop the charges against him. Australia formally requested the charges be dropped in February, and President Biden indicated he was considering the request.
- Julian Assange's release is the result of a global campaign involving grassroots organizers, press freedom activists, legislators, and leaders from across the political spectrum, including the United Nations. This campaign created the space for prolonged negotiations with the US Department of Justice, ultimately leading to the plea agreement.
- After spending more than five years in a 2x3 meter cell, isolated for 23 hours a day, Assange will soon be reunited with his wife, Stella Assange, and their children. This reunion marks a significant moment for Assange's family, who have only known him from behind bars.
