WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has struck a deal with the US Department of Justice in exchange for his release. Lawyers in America confirm this. According to American correspondent John Postma, all the details surrounding the deal are still unknown, but it is clear that Assange will plead guilty to espionage.
WikiLeaks founder Assange pleads guilty to US justice
Assange left England yesterday after being released from Belmarsh prison in Britain. According to Postma, the WikiLeaks founder is due to appear in court on the Pacific island of Saipan on Wednesday. The location was chosen because the island officially belongs to the United States, but at the same time it is relatively neutral territory. A US judge will rule on the deal again there. “Assange is expected to leave for Australia immediately,” Postma said.
According to US Correspondent, not all details of the deal have been announced yet. “We know from reliable sources that Assange will plead guilty to conspiracy to obtain and release classified security information in this way.” It concerns the hundreds of thousands of documents released by WikiLeaks in 2010 about US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Independence
An agreement with the Public Prosecution Service in the United States states that Assange will eventually be sentenced to 62 months in prison. He was not required to serve that sentence as it would count against the time he eventually spent in a British prison.
Assange’s family say they are happy and relieved now that the release will begin soon. Australia, through Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, announced the case was long overdue. According to Postma, the US has yet to respond as it is not yet official. “And according to WikiLeaks, this release is the result of a global campaign by press freedom advocates.”
