Julian Assange Free After US Court Accepts Plea Deal

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Above: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is joined by Kevin Rudd, Australian Ambassador to the US as he arrives at the United States Courthouse on June 26, 2024 in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Image copyright: Chung Sung-Jun/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Julian Assange is free after a US court in the Pacific island of Saipan accepted his plea deal on Wednesday, bringing an end to a 14-year legal ordeal.

  • News of the WikiLeaks founder's deal with the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) first started to spread early Tuesday, with his organization's social media releasing a video showing Assange — who had been in a UK prison for five years — board a plane ultimately headed for the US Pacific island a day earlier.

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

While Assange is a controversial figure who did break US laws, most can agree that this episode has gone on too long without resolution. As such, it's in the interests of justice and all involved for this deal to have been made and for Assange to be released after five years in prison.

CNN

Establishment-critical narrative

While it is good news that Assange has been released, it cannot be said that justice has been done. Assange was doing important journalistic work and was imprisoned after exposing US war crimes. Justice would mean an apology from the US, compensation for all it has put him through, as well as putting the perpetrators of the war crimes — not those who exposed them — in prison.

Consortium News

Metaculus Prediction

Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

More neutral establishment stance articles