Julian Assange’s long struggle to be released has finally come to fruition; this news is indeed a relief to his numerous international followers. However, the fact that he’s been formally convicted presents the possibility that it may have enduring effects on the scope of investigative journalism and the security of the United States. Assange’s liberation will allow him to return to Australia, his homeland, after finalising a plea deal with American authorities.
The plea bargain is the result of a remarkable legal battle that unfolded over a period of 15 years, during which Assange was exiled. He spent his exile in both the Ecuadorian embassy in London and later, Belmarsh prison. In accordance with the agreement, Assange admitted to one count of conspiracy to acquire and distribute confidential information pertinent to America’s national defence.
Having finished the portion of his sentence that called for him to be incarcerated due to his time already served in Britain, the next course of action in the agreement had Assange face his fate in court in the Mariana Islands, a Pacific US commonwealth. Assange is anticipated to request a pardon from the president of the United States, having completed his prison term.
Assange, often regarded as a symbol of transparency and critic of state corruption, incurred controversy in 2010. He purportedly divulged millions of pages of military occurrence logs and around 250,000 diplomatic cables from American activities in Iraq and Afghanistan online. These were divulged by Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst who was released by President Barack Obama after seven years of a 35-year sentence.
American authorities alleged that the leaks placed at risk lives of those aiding them in Iraq and Afghanistan, a claim that Assange fervently disputed. Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese’s suggestion that American prosecutors needed to wrap up the case and President Biden’s hints at a swifter resolution facilitated Assange’s release.
Press freedom advocates posit that Assange should be entitled to the rights protected by the first amendment of the US constitution, just like other journalists. They argue that obtaining such a conviction for the first time under the Espionage Act might pose a risk to investigative journalism and press freedom.