According to recent court documents, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will reportedly admit to conspiracy charges in an agreement reached with the US Department of Justice, which could secure his release from a prison in the United Kingdom.
Assange’s charges are related to his role in the massive leak of classified military and diplomatic documents of the United States, a scandal dating back to the Obama administration.
It is claimed that between 2009 and 2010, Assange collaborated with former military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to publish extensive reports on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as State Department cables and information on detainees at Guantanamo Bay, through WikiLeaks.
According to the plea agreement filed in a US District Court, Assange would be sentenced to 62 months, with credit for time served, which would allow him to return to Australia. This move follows his prolonged legal battles to avoid extradition to the US, including the recent permission granted by the UK Supreme Court for a full hearing of his appeal.
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Chelsea Manning, who played a key role in the information leak, was initially sentenced to 35 years but had her sentence commuted by Obama in 2017. She later faced additional legal challenges, including nearly a year in prison for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
This potential plea agreement brings an end to the decade-long saga involving Assange, highlighting significant issues at the intersection of journalism, law, and international relations.
