WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga

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Assange pleaded guilty to a felony charge of violating the Espionage Act. His court hearing was held in Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at the United States Courthouse where he entered a guilty plea to an espionage charge.

Chief Judge Ramona Manglona said the time Assange had spent in Belmarsh prison in the U.K. — 62 months — was appropriate.She said she doubted there would be future breaches of the plea agreement, and allowed Assange to leave court a free man. He added:"I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case given all these circumstances."Assange pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to obtain and disclose information related to the national defense in a U.S. federal court.

Under the terms of the agreement, Assange faces a sentence of 62 months, equivalent to the time he has already served at Belmarsh Prison in the United Kingdom while fighting extradition to the United States. The judge said Assange was required to direct WikiLeaks tto destroy material containing classified information, though given how long this case has gone on, such an action is likely to have minimal impact.

 

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