After reaching a plea deal with US authorities, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison in the UK and will not be extradited to the US. The deal includes Assange pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information in exchange for 62 months of time served. This will allow him to reunite with his family after more than five years in prison.
Assange’s legal team was concerned about him facing trial in the US without protections for journalists and the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. The deal means he will not serve time in the US. The leaked material published by WikiLeaks revealed government corruption and human rights abuses, but US prosecutors claimed it put American lives at risk.
Assange had been holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London for seven years before his arrest and has since been in a legal battle over his extradition to the US. The plea deal, while not adding any additional punishment for Assange, has raised concerns about the criminalization of routine journalistic conduct.
Assange’s plea and sentencing will take place in Saipan, where he is expected to return to Australia afterwards.
