In breaking news, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge related to his alleged role in a significant US government breach of classified material. This decision comes as part of a deal with the Justice Department that will allow him to avoid imprisonment in the United States, according to newly filed federal court documents.
Under the terms of the agreement, Justice Department prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence, equivalent to the time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while fighting extradition. The plea deal will credit this time served, enabling Assange to immediately return to Australia, his home country.
Although the plea deal must still be approved by a federal judge, Assange has already been released from a UK prison, as confirmed by WikiLeaks. The group stated in a recent press release, “Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there.”
A federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands has set a plea hearing and sentencing for Wednesday morning, as per the US District Court there. The court proceedings are expected to occur on the same day to accommodate Assange’s preference of not setting foot in the continental US for his guilty plea, as noted in a letter from prosecutors.
Assange, who has been pursued by US authorities for publishing confidential military records obtained by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, could face up to 175 years in prison. US officials accuse Assange of goading Manning into obtaining thousands of sensitive US diplomatic cables, Iraq war-related significant activity reports, and information related to Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Recent months have seen speculation about a possible deal orchestrated by Australian government officials to repatriate Assange, although the White House has disavowed any involvement in the plea deal. In a statement, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson clarified, “This was an independent decision made by the Department of Justice, and there was no White House involvement.”
FBI and Justice Department officials have been adamant about securing a felony guilty plea from Assange, according to sources familiar with the matter. An appeal ruling last month in a UK court further bolstered Assange’s fight against extradition to the US, granting him the right to appeal his final challenge against prosecution in the States.
This developing story will continue to unfold as more details emerge.
