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. According to newly filed federal court documents, Assange has reached a deal with the Justice Department that will allow him to avoid imprisonment in the United States.
As per the terms of the agreement, Justice Department prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence, which is equivalent to the time Assange has already served in a high-security prison in London while fighting extradition to the US. The plea deal would credit the time served, enabling Assange to immediately return to his native country, Australia.
Although the plea deal is subject to approval by a federal judge, Assange has been released from a UK prison. WikiLeaks confirmed his release, stating that he left Belmarsh maximum security prison after spending 1901 days there. Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and departed the UK from Stansted airport.
A federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands has scheduled a plea hearing and sentencing for Assange. Prosecutors anticipate that Assange will plead guilty to the charge and be sentenced by the court for the offense. The court's proximity to Australia, where Assange is a citizen, suggests that he will return there after the court hearing.
Assange was pursued by US authorities for publishing confidential military records supplied by Chelsea Manning in 2010 and 2011. The 2019 indictment against him included 18 counts related to the breach, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
President Joe Biden had hinted at a possible deal facilitated by Australian government officials to repatriate Assange to Australia. However, the White House clarified that it was not involved in the plea deal, which was an independent decision by the Department of Justice.
FBI and Justice Department officials insisted on a felony guilty plea by Assange as part of any deal. Last month, a UK court ruled in Assange's favor, granting him the right to appeal his final challenge against extradition to the US.
