Quick Hit:

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department. This agreement will free him from prison and resolve the prolonged legal battle over the publication of classified documents.

Key Details:

• Assange, who has been imprisoned in the UK for the past five years, left a British prison on Monday and is expected to plead guilty in a U.S. federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday.

• The deal involves Assange admitting to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information.

• WikiLeaks celebrated the deal, expressing gratitude to supporters and emphasizing Assange’s commitment to exposing government corruption and human rights abuses.

Diving Deeper:

According to a report by the Associated Press, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, will plead guilty to a felony charge in an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, which will see him released from prison. This deal aims to conclude the extensive legal issues surrounding the release of a large cache of classified documents by WikiLeaks.

Assange departed a British prison on Monday and is scheduled to appear in a U.S. federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday. He is set to plead guilty to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information under the Espionage Act. This plea must be approved by a judge to take effect.

On Tuesday, a plane believed to be carrying Assange landed in Bangkok for refueling before continuing to Saipan, where he will enter his plea. Stella Assange, his wife, confirmed that her husband was aboard the flight from London, expressing her elation at the prospect of his release. "He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge," she said.

British judicial officials confirmed that Assange left the UK on Monday evening after being granted bail at a secret hearing last week. "Thirteen-and-a-half years and two extradition requests after he was first arrested, Julian Assange left the UK yesterday, following a bail hearing last Thursday, held in private at his request," said Stephen Parkinson, the chief prosecutor for England and Wales.

The legal saga involving Assange has spanned numerous years and continents, making him a polarizing figure. Many press freedom advocates view him as a journalist who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing, while investigators argue that his actions endangered national security by breaching laws designed to protect sensitive information.

Following his plea and sentencing, Assange is expected to return to his home country, Australia. The sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time, in Saipan, the largest island in the Northern Mariana Islands. Prosecutors have arranged the hearing there due to Assange’s opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the court's proximity to Australia.

WikiLeaks issued a statement on social media confirming Assange's departure from the UK and applauding the plea deal. "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," the statement read.

The plea deal ensures Assange's release without further prison time, acknowledging the five years he has already spent in a high-security British prison while resisting extradition to the U.S. His legal battles began with his refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations, which he has denied.

Assange's publication of classified documents in 2010, sourced from U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, led to the current charges. These documents included sensitive diplomatic cables and military files, and prosecutors assert that Assange's actions significantly harmed U.S. national security.

The case against Assange has faced criticism from press advocates, who argue it targets journalistic activities. However, federal prosecutors maintain that Assange's conduct went beyond journalism, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal, and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. This plea agreement comes after years of legal battles, changing political administrations, and shifting perspectives on Assange's actions and their implications for press freedom and national security.

“RUEDA DE PRENSA CONJUNTA ENTRE CANCILLER RICARDO PATIÑO Y JULIAN ASSANGE” by David G Silvers is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.