Julian Assange Released After 12-Year Legal Battle, Plea Deal Secured by Australia

Jun 29, 2024, 07:25 AM

Julian Assange, the 52-year-old founder of WikiLeaks, has been released following a plea deal with US prosecutors, marking the end of his 12-year legal saga. Assange, who had been confined for over a decade, including time spent in London's Belmarsh Prison and Ecuador's UK embassy, returned to Australia as a free man. His release is seen as a victory for whistleblowers, although concerns remain about the US government's use of the Espionage Act to prosecute journalists. Assange's accuser, Anna Ardin, and his US attorney, Barry Pollack, have both commented on the case. The plea deal that led to his release involved delicate negotiations between Assange's legal team and US prosecutors. Assange is now enjoying his first weekend of freedom in Canberra, where David McBride, another whistleblower, felt his spirits lifted by the news. Australia's fight against the US to secure Assange's freedom played a significant role in his release.