Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been released from Belmarsh maximum security prison in London after reaching a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice. This development marks a significant turn in a case that has been ongoing for over a decade and has raised important questions about press freedom and government transparency.
According to a statement from WikiLeaks, Assange left Belmarsh on June 24, 2024, after spending 1,901 days in custody. The High Court in London granted him bail, and he subsequently departed the UK from Stansted airport.
The plea deal, which has not yet been formally finalized, appears to result from extensive negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice. Court documents indicate that Assange is expected to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act for obtaining and publishing classified documents from whistleblower Chelsea Manning in 2010.
Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, commented on the development:
“It’s good news that the DOJ is ending this embarrassing saga. But it’s alarming that the Biden administration felt the need to extract a guilty plea for the purported crime of obtaining and publishing government secrets. That’s what investigative journalists do every day.”
The case against Assange began under the Trump administration, which indicted him on 17 counts under the Espionage Act and one count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The Biden administration continued to pursue the case for the past three years.
WikiLeaks, the organization Assange founded, has been at the center of controversy since its inception. It gained worldwide attention in 2010 when it published a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These leaks included the Baghdad airstrike Collateral Murder video, the Afghanistan war logs, the Iraq war logs, and CableGate.
Assange’s supporters have long argued that his prosecution threatens press freedom. The WikiLeaks statement emphasizes this point:
“WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people’s right to know.”
The resolution of this case comes after a global campaign involving grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators, and leaders from across the political spectrum. The United Nations also advocated for Assange’s release.
For Assange personally, this marks the end of a long period of confinement. The WikiLeaks statement notes that he will soon reunite with his wife, Stella Assange, and their children, “who have only known their father from behind bars.”
While this plea deal ends Assange’s legal troubles in the United States, it raises ongoing questions about the implications for journalism and press freedom. As Stern points out:
“The plea deal won’t have the precedential effect of a court ruling, but it will still hang over the heads of national security reporters for years to come.”
As Assange prepares to return to his native Australia, this case will likely continue to be debated in legal, journalistic, and political circles for years to come. The balance between national security and press freedom remains a contentious issue, and the resolution of Assange’s case is unlikely to be the final word on this complex topic.
