After years of court struggles, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was permitted to go free on wednesday after entering a guilty plea to a single count of conspiring to obtain and distribute confidential US national security material.
 
The 52-year-old Assange filed the plea at a US district court hearing on Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan is a US-controlled territory that was chosen because of its closeness to australia, the place of his birth, and his refusal to go to the US mainland.
 
As a condition of his guilty agreement with US authorities, Assange will have to erase material that he sent to WikiLeaks. A sentence of five years and two months is anticipated for him, with credit given for the time he spent thwarting extradition in a british prison.
 
Assange said in court that he was "guilty to the information," but he then made a joke to the judge implying that his happiness "depends on the outcome of the hearing."
 
Chief Judge Ramona Manglona wished Assange, who turns 53 on July 3, a happy birthday ahead of schedule.
 
"I know you have your birthday the following week. She said to Assange, "I hope you will start your new life in a positive manner," as reported by the Washington Post.
 
Thanks to the plea agreement, Assange, who has been wanted by the US government since 2010 when he released hundreds of thousands of secret papers through WikiLeaks, will not face a drawn-out trial or possible jail term.
 
After five years of incarceration in a high-security british jail, he was freed earlier this week. Stella, his wife, congratulated supporters who pushed for his release and referred to him as a "free man".
 
Assange is anticipated to return to australia after the hearing, according to US prosecutors. On the social networking site X, WikiLeaks verified his reappearance and referred to the plea agreement as "unnecessary."
 
The decision was hailed by the Australian government, which said the issue had "dragged on for too long."
 
Assange's legal journey has been a contentious one. He spent more than five years in a british prison and seven years hiding out in the Ecuadorean embassy in london in order to evade being extradited to sweden on allegations of sexual assault that were eventually dismissed and to the US on charges of espionage.
 
Assange's case generated controversy throughout the world. Proponents of free speech hailed him as a hero, while others felt he jeopardised national security.
 
Citing concerns about human rights breaches during his detention, the UN applauded his release. His mother was relieved, but Mike Pence, a former US vice president, called the plea agreement a "miscarriage of justice."
 
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G GOWTHAM

26/06/2024 09:52 AM