Julian Assange Pleads Guilty to Espionage Charge
Former WikiLeaks Founder Returns to Australia After Guilty Plea
Assange Released from British Prison Under Pleading Deal
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has pleaded guilty in a US court to a single felony count of illegally obtaining national defense information. Under a plea deal, Assange will be allowed to walk free and return to his home country, Australia.
Assange was arrested in Britain in 2019 and has been fighting extradition to the United States ever since. He was accused of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a former US Army intelligence analyst, to leak classified information, including diplomatic cables and military files.
The guilty plea marks the end of a long legal battle for Assange, who has been a controversial figure for many years. Supporters have hailed him as a whistleblower who exposed government secrets, while critics have accused him of undermining national security.
The plea deal is expected to end Assange's legal troubles in the US, but it does not address the charges that he faces in other countries. Sweden has an outstanding warrant for his arrest on rape charges, and Australia has not ruled out prosecuting him for his role in WikiLeaks' leaks of classified information.
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