WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange to Plead Guilty in Deal with US
Long-time International Saga Comes to an End
Assange to Face Sentencing for Illegally Obtaining and Disclosing Information
In a significant development, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing classified information. This comes as part of a deal with the US Justice Department, putting an end to a years-long international legal battle.
Assange's guilty plea will resolve a protracted legal case that began in 2010, when WikiLeaks published a trove of classified US diplomatic cables and military files, sparking international controversy. Assange has been charged with 18 offenses under the Espionage Act, facing a potential sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Assange will receive a prison sentence of 62 months, all of which he has already served in the United Kingdom and the United States. He will be formally sentenced at a hearing in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on May 25, 2023.
The plea deal brings to a close a complex and highly publicized case that has raised questions about press freedom, international diplomacy, and the limits of government secrecy. Assange's supporters have maintained his innocence and defended his actions as necessary to expose government overreach and misconduct.
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