A US judge has freed Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, ending a protracted legal struggle with a plea deal. The decision came from a court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a Pacific US territory.
The 52-year-old faced US charges for publishing classified military documents. During the hearing, Assange pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information.
Assange stated in court, “Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide material that was said to be classified.” Dressed in a black suit and brown tie, he appeared tired and composed, even sharing a laugh with Kevin Rudd, the Australian ambassador to the US, during a recess.
The courtroom was filled with journalists and residents, some in colourful Hawaiian shirts. Assange was sentenced to five years and two months, but he will be credited for the time he served in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison. He was released from Belmarsh on Monday.
The Northern Mariana Islands were selected for the proceedings due to Assange’s reluctance to set foot in the continental US and its proximity to Australia. Following the hearing, WikiLeaks announced that Assange would return to Canberra, Australia.
WikiLeaks said the plea agreement was necessary and “should never have had to happen.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese supported the resolution, acknowledging it as a “welcome development” after emphasizing that Assange’s prolonged detention had been fruitless.
