Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been released from Belmarsh Prison in the UK and is on his way to Australia as part of a plea agreement with U.S. authorities. After more than five years of incarceration, the 52-year-old was swiftly moved from prison to an airport following a high court’s approval of his bail.
Under the terms of the agreement reported by foreign media, the U.S. Department of Justice will request that Assange serve a 62-month prison sentence, equivalent to the time he has already served in the UK. Upon his admission of guilt, a U.S. court is poised to release him this Wednesday officially.
Since 2019, Assange has been detained on charges from the United States for releasing classified information, facing 17 counts related to espionage and improper use of a computer for disseminating documents. He was accused of publishing sensitive diplomatic and military information between 2010 and 2011, including details about the involvement of U.S. troops in civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The British High Court had favoured his extradition to the U.S. in 2021, a decision that the British Supreme Court affirmed in 2022. After his release, Assange arranged a $500,000 flight to a remote U.S. territory to avoid landing in the U.S., opting for Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, approximately 1,800 miles from Australia.
“He has to face the charges under U.S. law,” noted a University of Sydney’s law school professor. Assange is scheduled for a federal court hearing on Wednesday morning in Saipan.
His wife indicated that the expensive flight was financed through debt, hinting at a potential fundraising campaign to cover the costs. Assange is ultimately headed to Australia to reunite with his family.
