Julian Assange: the whistleblower released after 5 years of imprisonment

WikiLeaks account X was the first to relay the information: “Julian Assange is free” (“Julian Assange is free“). Prosecuted for having participated in a “conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information“, the founder of WikiLeaks has reached a guilty plea agreement with the American justice system. This means that he is now free after years of detention in the United Kingdom. He will nevertheless have to appear before a federal court in the Mariana Islands, where he will plead guilty on Wednesday at 9 a.m. (local time, i.e. today at 11 p.m.).

Incarcerated since 2019, he has already left the high security prison near London and boarded a private plane at Stansted Airport, heading for the Mariana Islands.

What sentence for Assange?

Assange is expected to be sentenced to 62 months in prison, which has already been served on remand in London. This sentence will allow him to be free and return to his native country, Australia. The reactions of those close to him were quick, shortly after this announcement. His mother Christine Assange said: “I am grateful that my son’s ordeal is coming to an end, it shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy“. His wife Stella testified her “immense gratitude“, towards those who mobilized for the release of her husband. The Australian government also commented on this decision, saying that the case had “dragged on for too long”.

WikiLeaks’ X account also welcomed this release: “It’s the result of a global campaign that brought together grassroots organizers, press freedom advocates, lawmakers and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations“. As a reminder, you will have to wait 11 p.m. this Tuesday, June 25 to see the formal conclusion of the agreement.