WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from Belmarsh prison on Monday after being granted bail by the High Court in London. Assange, who had been detained since April 2019, faced extradition to the U.S. on charges related to the disclosure of highly classified documents thorough his WikiLeaks.
Julian Assange, born in 1971, founded WikiLeaks in 2006. It is a non-profit multinational media organization known for publishing some of the world’s most classified and censored documents related to war, spying, and corruption.
He agreed to plead guilty to a single U.S. felony charge of breaching the Espionage Act by conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defense documents, in order to avoid potential imprisonment in the U.S.
After his release from Belmarsh, he was taken to Stansted Airport in the afternoon, where he flew to his home in Australia. Assange flew on a charter flight VJ199, as he was not authorized to travel on commercial airlines or routes to Australia. As a part of his legal obligations, Julian will owe USD 520,000 which he is obligated to pay back to the Australian government for the charter flight. Check the video here.
Assange was held in HM Prison Belmarsh in London from April 2019 to June 2024. After spending 1901 days at one of the toughest prisons in the world, Assange is scheduled to appear at a court in Saipan, a US Pacific territory, at 9 am on Wednesday.
Julian Assange’s wife Stella expressed gratitude to supporters
His wife Stella Assange expressed gratitude to supporters. She took to X and posted: “Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilized for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU.
Julian Assange Charges: Espionage Act of 1917
The Espionage Act of 1917 is a U.S Federal law that prohibits espionage and unauthorized disclosure of national defense-related information. It imposes severe penalties for violations that compromise national security.
WikiLeaks Controversy
The most controversial leaks by the publishing website featured classified U.S. military documents and videos from the wars in Iran and Afghanistan in the early to mid 2000s which highlighted human rights violations, civilian casualties, etc.
U.S. condemned the leaks as reckless, damaged national security, and endangered the lives of agents.
Supporters of Assange opposed the condemnation, asserting the leaks defended free speech. They argued that attempts to prosecute him were an assault on journalism and press freedom.
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