Julian Assange will be freed after striking plea deal with US authorities
The ConversationJUN 26 2024
Julian Assange to Be Freed After Accepting US Plea Deal
Above: Julian Assange supporters are seen at the Wired Next Fest 2024 at Castello Sforzesco on June 15, 2024 in Milan, Italy. Image copyright: Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Cotnributor/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
The Facts
Ending a years-long legal battle with the US, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison in the UK. This comes after he agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of violating the Espionage Act as part of a deal with the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) that will see him go free.
Under the agreement, which must still be approved by a federal judge, prosecutors will seek a sentence of 62 months' imprisonment in exchange for the guilty plea. The period of time is equivalent to the time Assange has been imprisoned in the UK — set to be taken into account as time served, allowing him to return to his native Australia when the deal is completed.
Initially, the US wanted Assange in connection with 18 charges relating to WikiLeaks' publication of classified US documents. If extradited from the UK and found guilty, he would have faced a maximum prison sentence of 175 years.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is wonderful news, bringing an end to a 14-year prosecution of a journalist that should've never been started in the first place. It's disappointing that Assange will plead guilty — as he did nothing wrong in publishing documents that revealed US government wrongdoing — but it is good that his ordeal is finally coming to an end.
Narrative B
Assange endangered the lives of American troops in wartime and should face justice for his theft and publication of classified government documents. This plea deal is a massive miscarriage of justice and is a disservice to all the men and women who serve the US.
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