After several years in prison, whistleblower Julian Assange will finally be released. According to his relatives, he has reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and should finally return to Australia, his country of origin.
Julian Assange released after several years in prison
Just a few hours ago, the news broke: Julian Assange has been released and is expected to return to Australia, his country of origin, soon.
In 2006, Julian founded WikiLeaks, his infamous platform. It served as a repository where whistleblowers and various sources could anonymously submit classified, censored, or restricted information.
In 2010, WikiLeaks published nearly 400,000 secret documents provided by Chelsea Manning, a former US Army intelligence analyst. These documents revealed previously unreported incidents, including civilian deaths, torture, and abuse committed by military forces.
After that, the US government accused WikiLeaks and Julian Assange of breaking the law and putting people’s lives and safety at risk. After hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for several years, Julian was finally arrested by the authorities in 2019 and faces up to 175 years in prison.
Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are particularly known for using Bitcoin as an alternative after their bank accounts were frozen in the early months of the network’s existence. This was one of the factors that led Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, to suddenly disappear.
The agreement has not yet been officially finalized
After several years in prison, Julian Assange and his lawyers have reportedly reached a plea deal that will allow him to be released.
According to court documents, Assange has agreed with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to plead guilty to the charge of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate classified information related to US national defense.
WikiLeaks states in a post on the X network that the agreement has not yet been officially finalized, but that Julian left British territory immediately after being released from Belmarsh, the London prison where he was incarcerated.
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE
Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, 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…
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024
Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh high security prison on the morning of June 24, after spending 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport in the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and left the UK.
This is the result of a global campaign that involved grassroots organizers, press freedom advocates, lawmakers, and leaders across the political spectrum, up to the United Nations. This created space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to an agreement that has not yet been formally finalized. We will provide more information as soon as possible.
Julian Assange is expected to enter his plea in federal court in Saipan, an island in the Northern Mariana Islands located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which will allow him to quickly return to Australia, his home country.
