WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty to a felony charge for publishing U.S. military secrets as part of a deal with the Justice Department that secures his freedom. Assange’s plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Ramona Manglona, concluding a legal saga that raised questions about press freedom and national security. He was sentenced to time served and has already returned to Australia.
Assange, an Australian national, was initially indicted in 2019 for illegally obtaining and disseminating classified information about U.S. military operations. Prosecutors accused him of recruiting individuals to hack into computers and disclose sensitive information. As part of the plea agreement, Assange received credit for the approximately five years he spent in a U.K. prison fighting extradition to the U.S.
Following his release, Assange reunited with his wife Stella Assange and their children. The Justice Department noted that Assange had opposed traveling to the continental U.S. to enter his guilty plea. Assange’s supporters argue that he acted as a journalist in reporting on government actions, while critics see him as a threat to national security.
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