Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been set free from a US court after admitting guilt to a single offence, ending a drawn-out legal battle concerning the disclosure of confidential documents. Appearing in front of a judge in Saipan, located in the Pacific’s Northern Mariana Islands territory of the US, just after Wednesday midnight, Assange confessed to one grave violation once the United States dismissed 17 other accusations of espionage against him.
He acknowledged his part in the plot to contravene the Espionage Act and was consequently sentenced to the duration he had already spent incarcerated in a British jail. Assange declined to respond to queries from journalists during his brief entrance and exit from the court.
Upon his dramatic liberation from London’s Belmarsh Prison on Monday, where he has been held for five years, primarily in solitary detention, opposing being handed over, his trial took place. Assange departed from the UK and journeyed to Saipan via Bangkok on Monday night, following the ratification of his plea agreement on the 19th of June.
Post-hearing, Barry Pollack, his American legal representative, remarked that his client’s prosecution was “unprecedented” and that in his battle for free speech, the WikiLeaks founder “endured enormously”. Pollack appended that they “staunchly regard Mr Assange as wrongly charged under the Espionage Act”.
Pollack stated that their agreement included ” a very restricted settled set of facts” which Assange had accepted. Assange also expressed his belief in the First Amendment’s protection but noted that as it stands, the Espionage Act does not cater for such a defence.
Mr. Pollack stated that the court concluded that Mr. Assange’s actions induced no harm. His attorney, Jennifer Robinson, suggested that the situation sets a worrying precedent, posing a threat to global journalists and the public. She emphasised that the US aims to exert extraterritorial jurisdiction without granting free speech protections, a matter that anyone invested in free speech or democratic responsibility should oppose.
Following the court session, Assange embarked on a journey back to his homeland, Australia, to reunite with his spouse and two children, along with the rest of his family. This resolution officially concludes an internationally captivating criminal case, concluding the US government’s chase of a publisher. His secret-revealing platform led him to prominence amongst press freedom campaigners, commending his journalistic actions to unveil US military malpractice.
US attorneys consistently alleged his activities as unlawful and potentially jeopardising national security. The unveiled documents disclosed numerous civilian casualties stemming from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and implicated the US military in the unjust killing of innocent civilians, including a father and two Reuters journalists during a 2007 Baghdad air raid.
Assange will expend half a million US dollars (approximately €466,750) on a private flight from Stansted, escorted by a WikiLeaks counsel, an Australian government representative, and a healthcare professional to evaluate his health. WikiLeaks has initiated a fundraising drive to offset the flight costs.
Assange’s wife, Stella, expressed both relief and indignation following his release on Tuesday. She was relieved he was freed, yet incensed over his prolonged imprisonment. Speaking from Australia, she conveyed her gratitude to the individuals responsible for Assange’s release, defiantly questioning why it had escalated to this point. While ecstatic, she said she would only believe the situation when she sees Assange in person.
She revealed to the PA press agency that she, along with their two sons Gabriel and Max, travelled to Australia on Sunday, anticipating Assange’s release. Assange’s release, she affirmed, was made possible due to Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese’s interference, who persistently urged the US to dismiss charges against Assange.
“The general consensus has changed, and it’s evident to all that Assange has been dealt with unfairly,” was stated. He was engaged in a protracted legal standoff in the UK concerning his potential extradition, that led him to take up residency in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012. He was later confined in Belmarsh Prison.
In January 2021, the then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser decided that extraditing Assange to the United States could pose a genuine and “overbearing” suicide risk, therefore ruling against it; however, she sided against him on all other matters.
As 2021 progressed, American authorities managed to successfully persuade the High Court to lift this ban, thus creating a path for Assange’s possible extradition. Early in July, Assange was scheduled to present his argument against the initial judge’s rejection of parts of his case, in the High Court in London. This opportunity was granted to him recently.
His freedom from jail precedes his 53rd birthday on July 3rd by a few days.