An anonymous Bitcoiner donated more than 8 bitcoins, or around $500,000, to help WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange’s family repay the debt accumulated by his travel and settlement fees.
After a 14-year battle, Julian Assange was released on June 24 from the high-security Belmarsh jail in the United Kingdom after reaching an arrangement with US authorities.
Shortly after his release, he flew on a private plane from a London airport to Saipan, a US territory. On June 26, he appeared in Saipan’s district court and pleaded guilty to one count of violating the United States Espionage Act by disclosing secret documents.
Assange boarded flight VJT199 to Saipan, a critical step toward his release and eventual return to Australia. His wife, Stella Assange, stated in an interview, “Freedom comes at a cost.” However, this journey has a huge financial cost. Assange must repay the Australian government $520,000 for the charter flight.
Stella Assange shared the contribution link on June 25. Within 10 hours, an anonymous Bitcoiner donated over 8 Bitcoins, nearly meeting the $520,000 goal.
Additionally, over 300,000 British pounds ($380,000) in fiat donations have been received so far. At present, the fund has raised almost $487,000. His travel from the United Kingdom to Australia marks the conclusion of a key chapter in his life, with him returning home debt-free and legally free of further imprisonment.
At Assange’s court appearance on June 26, Judge Ramona Manglona sentenced him to five years and two months in prison for espionage. Since Assange had already served jail time in the United Kingdom, he walked a free man.
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