WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, seen boarding a plane to fly out of the United Kingdom. Wikileaks announced Assange's whereabouts shortly after court documents showed he was due to plead guilty later this week to violating U.S. espionage law.
Julian Assange was released from Belmarsh Prison after reaching a plea dealA row has broken out following the release of Julian Assange from Belmarsh Prison after the WikiLeaks founder reached a plea deal with the US over the spy charges that have dogged him for more than a decade.
His wife Stella - who said she is feeling a 'whirlwind of emotion' - has revealed they are seeking a pardon following the 'outrageous' 14-year case. In 2012, as authorities circled him for that and over 'credible and reliable' sex crime allegations from a woman in Sweden, he fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy where he remained for seven years in often farcical circumstances.
Assange, who has been sought for over a decade over allegations he hacked the US government, today left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm on Monday While he has reportedly been allowed to leave the country to go back to his native Australia, British officials have not yet confirmed his releaseA plane, understood to be carrying Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, is pictured on the tarmac at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok today
Assange is expected to appear in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9am local time The former high commissioner to the UK said that most people in Australia do not believe he is a hero who was fighting for the truth as a journalist. Assange's deal is expected to see him plead guilty to a single espionage charge. Prosecutors will then ask the judge to sentence him to five years. He has already served this time in the UK, meaning he is likely to be set free immediately.
'And I think most people in Australia would agree that it's not appropriate to steal national security information and publish it. 'We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership,' he said.
'He has been in Belmarsh Prison for over five years in relation to this outrageous case which is criminalising the publication and disclosure of information that incriminates states.' Stella said her husband is paying half a million US dollars for the flight which is taking him to Australia. 'Once the judge signs off on it, it is formally real. I'm also a bit limited as to what I can say right now about the agreement in principle.'
Stella said she has told them they are going to visit family, adding: 'We've been very careful because no one can stop a five and seven-year-old from shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment. 'Just to be in contact with nature, that's what we both desire for now. To have time and privacy, and start this new chapter.'
Last night Stella also posted on X: 'Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.' Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speec
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS Julian Assange's five-year battle against extradition to the US continues as he WINS last-ditch legal battle to lodge appeal He said that the campaign had gathered momentum in recent weeks following the growing involvement of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Matthew McKenzie, deputy chief of counterintelligence and export control at the US Department of Justice, and Shawn Anderson, the US Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, said they expected Assange to return to Australia after the proceedings have concluded.Assange's family and friends welcomed his release this morning.
The filing says Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents. In recent months, President Joe Biden had hinted at a possible deal being pushed by officials in the Australian government to return Assange to back to his homeland.
This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible.
Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over the mass release of secret US documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information.
So in 2012 when his final appeals were exhausted, instead of fighting to clear his name, he breached his UK bail and fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy to seek asylum. 'Her statements have been coherent, extensive and detailed; however, my overall assessment is that the evidential situation has been weakened to such an extent that that there is no longer any reason to continue the investigation.'
November 2010: Stockholm District Court approves a request to detain the WikiLeaks founder for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. An international arrest warrant is issued by Swedish police through Interpol. September 16, 2016: Sweden's Court of Appeal rejects a bid by Assange to have his sex assault warrant dropped.
August 15, 2017: Assange is allegedly offered a deal to avoid extradition in exchange for revealing the source of hacked Democratic Party emails to end speculation over Russian involvement. May 1, 2019: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks' imprisonment by Southwark Crown Court. He continues to be held on remand in Belmarsh from September after serving the custodial sentence.February 24, 2020: Assange faces an extradition hearing at Woolwich Crown Court, where his representatives argue he cannot legally be handed to the US for 'political offences' because of a 2003 extradition treaty.
December 10, 2021: The US government wins its High Court bid to overturn the judge's decision not to extradite Assange.
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