Julian Assange Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge, Ends Years-Long Stalemate
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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of violating the Espionage Act, ending a years-long stalemate with the US government. The charges stem from his publication of classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010.
Assange appeared in a courtroom on the US Pacific island territory of Saipan in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth near his native Australia. He was accused of obtaining and publishing sensitive information, including a video of a 2007 US airstrike in Baghdad that killed several people, including two Reuters journalists.
Assange's defense team argued that he is a journalist and should be protected by the First Amendment. However, the US government maintains that his actions constituted espionage.
The case was filed in Saipan instead of the US mainland due to its proximity to Australia, where Assange is expected to return "shortly after this proceeding." A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to cover the cost of his repatriation flight to Australia, with over £263,000 raised so far.
Assange was released from Belmarsh maximum security prison in London on Monday and flew to Saipan on Tuesday. He is expected to land in Canberra later in the day. The WikiLeaks founder has been in British prison for five years as he fought an extradition order to the US.
Assange's decision to plead guilty marks a significant shift in his legal strategy, which has been characterized by years of resistance to extradition and accusations of espionage. The outcome of his case remains uncertain, but it is likely to have significant implications for press freedom and national security.
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