In a development that shocked the entire world, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was freed from jail after 14 years of legal battle between him and the United States. Julian Assange was freed after he agreed to plead guilty in US court to revealing military secrets in exchange for his freedom, ending his years-long legal drama. As per the court's documents, Julian Assange was in custody of Britain. Julian Assange struck a deal with the United States that he will plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defense information. The document was reportedly filed in court in the Northern Mariana Islands. Now, the question arises what is the deal between Julian Assange and the US? Below is what we know about Julian Assange-US deal so far-
What is Julian Assange's deal with the US?
As per the Guardian, the Wikileaks founder will have to appear in a federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands under his plea deal with the USA. If Assange pleads guilty, his extradition request is expected to be dropped and thereafter, the Wikileaks founder will not face any other charges.
It is reported that prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of five years. However, Assange has already served in a British prison and it will count towards this. This means that he will probably walk free after the sentencing. It is pertinent to mention here that the guilty plea must still be approved by a judge, but if it is, he is expected to return to Australia after the sentencing.
For those who are unaware, Jullian Assange was detained in the UK for five years as he fought extradition charges by the US, which sought to prosecute him for revealing military secrets. The UK government approved his extradition in June 2022. He is scheduled to appear in the US territory on Wednesday (local time).
What did Wikileaks say about Assange's freedom?
Wikileaks took to its X handle and wrote, "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 plane and departed the UK.
This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible.
After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars.
WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know.
As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom."
Notably, Assange is not the only person who has been granted a pardon by the US. In 2010, Assange's fame skyrocketed after he published a series of leaks by Chelsea Manning, a former US army soldier. Among the files was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. Chelsea Manning, who leaked the documents, was convicted in 2013 but had her 35-year prison sentence commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017.