Julian Assange , Reaches Plea Deal With , US Government.
'The Independent' reports that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been released from Belmarsh prison as part of a plea deal with the United States Justice Department.
Assange will be flown out of the U.K. as part of the deal before he makes a guilty plea deal that could end the years-long legal battle.
On June 24, Assange boarded a flight at Stansted airport ahead of a scheduled appearance later this week in the Mariana Islands, a Western Pacific U.S. commonwealth.
The U.S. government has charged the Wikileaks founder with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense secrets.
The charges stem from one of the largest leaks of classified information in U.S. history, disclosing tens of thousands of reports regarding the war in Afghanistan.
The disclosure, which occurred between 2009 and 2011, included unfiltered diplomatic cables that potentially endangered the safety of confidential sources.
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The leak also included significant activity reports related to the war in Iraq and information regarding Guantanamo Bay.
According to the latest DOJ filing, Assange is expected to plead guilty and be sentenced to 62 months of time already served, thus avoiding U.S. imprisonment.
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This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, Wikileaks statement, via X.
After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars, Wikileaks statement, via X
