Julian Assange founder of WikiLeaks will plead guilty to walk free from Espionage charges.

sakshi mittal 0



Julian Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks, is set to plead guilty in a landmark deal with the U.S. Justice Department. This agreement aims to free him from espionage charges related to the publication of classified documents. His court hearing is scheduled to take place in a U.S. federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific.


Departure from Belmarsh Prison 

Assange left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, 2024, after being incarcerated for 1,901 days. This move comes as he prepares to appear before the federal court.


Statement from WikiLeaks 

In a statement, WikiLeaks defended Assange's actions, highlighting his role in exposing government corruption and human rights abuses. "WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people’s right to know,” the statement read.


Early Life and Introduction to Hacking 

Assange's fascination with computers began early in life. Known by the pseudonym "Mendax" in the hacking community, he started hacking into high-profile systems, including the Pentagon's servers. His hacking activities took a dramatic turn in 1991 when Australian police raided his home, catching him hacking a Canadian organization. This incident led to 31 charges against him.


Imprisonment and Early Release

At the age of 25, Assange faced a potential 290-year prison sentence. However, after pleading for a pardon, he was released after just one year. Following his release, he founded WikiLeaks and began publishing classified documents.


WikiLeaks and Major Publications WikiLeaks quickly gained notoriety for its major document releases, including:

  • Reports on Kenyan police killing over 500 civilians within a year based on suspicion.
  • Evidence of Chinese forces brutally suppressing information about their treatment of Tibetan people.
  • Exposing fraud by Julius Baer bank in the U.S., which helped clients evade taxes.
  • A video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.
  • In October 2010, WikiLeaks published 400,000 documents revealing that over 60,000 civilians were killed in Iraq under the guise of saving democracy.


Sexual Harassment Allegations and Asylum

Assange faced sexual harassment allegations in Sweden, but he was in the UK at the time. Ordered to be extradited to Sweden, he instead sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on August 16, 2012. He remained there until April 2019, when British police arrested him after Ecuador withdrew his asylum status. He was subsequently jailed for skipping bail.


Current Legal Status and Extradition Battle 

Although Sweden eventually dropped its investigation due to the elapsed time, Assange has remained in London's high-security Belmarsh Prison amidst an ongoing extradition battle with the U.S.


Assange's decision to plead guilty marks a significant turning point in his long-running legal saga. This plea deal, expected to save him from further prison time, will bring an end to the espionage charges that have dogged him for years. As Assange prepares to face the U.S. federal court, his supporters continue to champion his contributions to free speech and government transparency.



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