Julian Assange walks free from the Belmarsh prison. The controversial WikiLeaks founder is able to see the sun and smell fresh air after almost 1900 days. Assange has pleaded guilty to the charge of breaching the espionage law in the United States. With the deal in motion, the London court granted him bail, and now he is traveling to his home country Australia.
Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified US national defense documents, according to a filing in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
As soon as he left the prison, WikiLeaks went on social media to share JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE.
On Monday, Julian Assange was released from the high-security Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom and escorted to the airport, where he boarded a plane to leave the country. At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday (23:00 GMT on Tuesday), Assange is scheduled to appear in court in the US Pacific territory of Saipan, where he will be sentenced to serve an additional 62 months for the time he has already served.
A History of Exposing Secrets
Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006. From 2007 to 2010, he published numerous disclosures, including information on the Yemen Drone Strike, Corruption in the Arab World, Extra-Judicial Executions by Kenyan Police, and various classified media and news leaks while safeguarding the privacy of sources.
Assange rose to international prominence in 2010, shortly after uploading the “Collateral Murder” video, and his legal case began. WikiLeaks released a clip in which US airmen shot down Iraqi civilians.
According to the WikiLeaks documents, the US underreported the number of civilians killed during the counter-insurgency. It has also been revealed that two Reuters journalists and 12 unarmed civilians were shot dead. According to reports, 66,081 people died in the Iraq war, which is 80% more than the US government has previously recognized.
WikiLeaks continued to release highly classified documents, including the Afghanistan War logs, Guantanamo Bay files, and Syria files, as well as other controversial leaks.
Arrest, Imprisonment, and Concerns Over Freedom of Speech
After exposing government authorities, Assange became a target and sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012. He remained there for seven years until UK police, following US government orders, arrested him in April 2019 for violating his bail terms by seeking asylum.
Under the U.S. Espionage Act, the U.S. Department of Justice has filed numerous charges against the founder of Wikileaks, potentially subjecting him to a maximum sentence of over 170 years.
His right to seek legal protection was arguably breached when he was forcefully removed from the embassy due to increasing political pressure from US officials.
British police arrested him, and he was later convicted by a London court for skipping bail, resulting in a 50-week jail sentence.
The UK High Court granted Julian Assange relief by allowing him to contest his extradition to the United States on May 20.
Fight For Freedom
Julian Assange’s imprisonment sparked widespread criticism from journalists around the world. His case raised a crucial question: Does it threaten freedom of speech?
Many journalists were concerned that if Assange, a non-US citizen, could be prosecuted in the US for publishing classified information, it would establish a dangerous precedent. They argued that such actions could discourage journalists worldwide who are seeking information in the public interest, even if that information is classified.
Support from the Crypto Community
Assange legal team was facing economic issues, and to help him out in this dire situation his friends came up with AssangeDAO, inspired by the ConstitutionDAO, and raised money using tokenized NFTs.
The “Censored” NFT Collection and AssangeDAO
Enigmatic and anonymous NFT creator, Pak whose artworks are as cryptic as his persona, collaborated with WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange on for NFT Collection ‘Censored’, and AssangeDao raised funds to bid on this NFT, and give proceeds to the Wau Holland foundation, was fighting the case for Assange. The NFt project was a success and AssangeDAO was able to raise $46 million.
The Clock by Pak is also a unique NFT collection as it was programmed to Tik every day until Assange is free, and now since Jullian Assange is finally out of the prison, the mystery behind the Clock will also unfurl out in the open.
Silke Noa, a member of AssangeDAO recently revealed that $37 million has been spent on Julian Assange’s legal defense.
Road To Freedom
Monday’s plea deal comes as pressure mounted on US President Joe Biden to drop the long-running case against Assange.
In February, the Australian government issued an official request to this effect, and Biden stated that he would consider it, increasing optimism among Assange supporters that his ordeal might end. The Australian government stated at the time that Assange’s case had “dragged on for too long”.
Australian Prime Minster Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday he wanted Assange back in Australia as soon as possible.
Questions for the Future
- What will be the final sentence handed down in Saipan?
- Will Assange face any further legal challenges?
- How will WikiLeaks operate moving forward?
- What role will AssangeDAO play in the future?
These are just some of the questions that remain unanswered. One thing is certain: Julian Assange’s story is far from over. His release marks a new chapter, and the world will be watching closely to see how it unfolds.
“If journalists want long-term credibility for their profession, they have to go in that direction. Have more respect for readers.”
Julian Assange
