2024-07-18 21:58:24
The Australian journalist who became a public enemy of the United States by leaking classified war documents has been released after five years.
WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, He left the UK after the London Court left him in bail, after the journalist reached an agreement with the United States, which consisted of pleading guilty to the charge of conspiracy.
The Australian was accused of spreading iU.S. National Defense Information. The above, after the WikiLeaks site published secret military documents.
He has been held in a UK jail for the past five years while fighting to avoid extradition to the United States. As part of a deal reached with US authorities, the Australian will receive credit for the time he spent in prison on British soil.
What did Julian Assange do and what agreement did he reach with the United States?
Julian Assange reached an agreement with US authorities, which consists of declaring himself guilty of violating the Espionage Act.
Initially, the US prosecutors wanted to try the Australian journalist on 18 charges after the publication of confidential US military documentation relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In this context, Assange always denied the charges against him, maintaining that the leaks he made through the WikiLeaks site were purely for journalistic purposes.
However, he will face a single charge on Wednesday. According to CBS News, Justice Department prosecutors suggested a 62-month prison sentence following the guilty plea.
Considering the above, the founder of WikiLeaks will not spend a single day in a US jail, because He will be credited for the five years he spent in prison in the United Kingdom.
If convicted on all 18 charges, Assange’s supporters said the journalist could have faced up to 175 years in prison.
He will testify in the Mariana Islands
According to the letter from the US Department of Justice, Assange has a deep distrust of the US governmentfor which he will testify at a hearing to be held in the Northern Mariana Islands. After that, he will return to his native Australia.