WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge as part of a deal with the US Justice Department that settles a legal case over the publication of classified documents that has been a topic of discussion on several continents. This information was given in court documents filed late on Monday night.
The Justice Department said in a court filing that Assange will appear in federal court in the Mariana Islands, where he will face charges of conspiracy to unlawfully obtain and disseminate national security information under the Espionage Act. Will accept the charges under. Assange’s confession must be approved by a judge. With this, this criminal case which has created sensation at the international level will be settled.
Many supporters of press freedom believe that Assange fulfilled his responsibility as a journalist by sharing classified documents to expose wrongdoing by the US military. On the other hand, investigators say that Assange’s actions broke laws designed to protect the country’s sensitive information and endangered the country’s security. Assange will plead guilty on Wednesday morning local time and will be sentenced. After this he is likely to return to Australia.
The case is being heard in the Mariana Islands because Assange has expressed reluctance to go to the continental United States and the Mariana Islands court is close to Australia. Under the agreement, Assange will plead guilty to the charges against him and will not have to spend any more time in prison. He will be released immediately.
Swedish authorities had issued an arrest warrant against Assange on rape allegations, after which he took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Later he was lodged in a British jail where the case regarding his extradition to America was heard. Assange has already spent five years in a British prison. As part of the deal, US prosecutors have agreed to sentence Assange to five years in prison, which he has already served in a British prison, meaning Assange will be released after admitting the charges.