He has just one more curt appearance and he is free. Unless the Deep State moves on him again.
The Justice Department has agreed to a plea deal with Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, which will see him plead guilty to one felony count of conspiring to unlawfullly obtain and disseminate classified information. This arrangement will likely conclude Assange’s lengthy legal confrontations in the United States, with court documents revealing that no further prison time will be sought beyond his current detention.
NEW: Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge as part of a deal with Genocide Joe’s Justice Department.https://t.co/Th8esa9k4Z pic.twitter.com/2fpb4cbjwm
— Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) June 24, 2024
Under the terms of the deal, Assange is set to enter his guilty plea in a federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands. Following this, he is expected to return to his home country, Australia, concluding over a decade of legal disputes stemming from WikiLeaks’ dissemination of sensitive U.S. military and diplomatic documents in 2010. These documents, originally leaked by former U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning, included content suggesting potential war crimes by American forces in Iraq.
This plea agreement is significant as it aims to resolve the charges against Assange under the Espionage Act—a point of contention that has drawn criticism from First Amendment advocates and human rights organizations due to its implications for media freedom and its impact on Assange’s personal circumstances. Assange has spent the last five years in Belmarsh Prison in London, a high-security facility, where he resisted extradition to the U.S.
Prior to his time in Belmarsh, Assange took refuge for seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, seeking asylum to avoid extradition on unrelated charges in Sweden, which were eventually dropped. However, in 2019, after Ecuador revoked his asylum, British authorities arrested him for breaching bail conditions, leading to a 50-week prison sentence, which he has long surpassed yet remained in custody due to the ongoing extradition battle.
🚨 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝 🚨
Assange agrees to plead guilty to a felony charge, in exchange for release from a British prison‼😱 🔥 #ᵇᵣᵉₐᵏᵢⁿgⁿₑʷₛ #ⱼᵘₗⁱₐⁿₐˢₛᵃnᵍₑ #ᵃsˢₐⁿgᵉ #fʳₑᵉₐˢsᵃₙᵍₑ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/afng2ziaYE
— Dizzy Daniels💥 (@Dizzy_Daniels) June 25, 2024
U.S. efforts to extradite Assange continued with an initial indictment revealing charges of conspiring to hack a Pentagon computer, followed by a superseding indictment adding 17 counts under the Espionage Act. This prosecutorial approach has been heavily criticized by both international press freedom groups and prominent media outlets, who argue that such actions set a dangerous precedent for journalism and freedom of the press.
Despite these concerns, the U.S. administration persisted with the charges, even as international pressure and high-profile campaigns called for an end to Assange’s prosecution. The situation reached a critical point when the UK’s High Court acknowledged grounds for Assange to appeal the extradition decision, further delaying resolutions.
Amidst this prolonged legal struggle, President Joe Biden had expressed openness to reconsidering the pursuit of charges following requests from the Australian government. Meanwhile, Stella Assange, Julian’s wife, and their young sons have been prominent figures in the campaign advocating for his release, voicing serious concerns about the potential consequences of his extradition to the U.S.
🚨BREAKING🚨 Julian Assange (Wikileaks) agrees to plead guilty to 1 felony count of conspiracy! To avoid dying in prison due to health issues! That also means the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens. pic.twitter.com/K9nKpEfdKs
— Facts matter (@1800factsmatter) June 25, 2024
This plea deal marks a potential end to a saga that has sparked widespread debate over legal, ethical, and human rights considerations, framing a narrative of intense geopolitical and journalistic implications that have reverberated globally.
Major Points:
- Julian Assange has agreed to a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department, pleading guilty to one felony count of conspiring to obtain and disseminate classified information.
- The deal concludes Assange’s extensive legal battle in the U.S., allowing him to avoid further prison time beyond his current incarceration.
- Assange will enter his plea in federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands and is expected to return to Australia following the court proceedings.
- The plea resolves charges under the Espionage Act related to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified documents in 2010, which had drawn significant criticism regarding media freedoms.
- Assange has spent over a decade in confinement, including seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and five years in Belmarsh Prison, resisting extradition to the U.S.
Lap Fu Ip – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
