Julian Assange released from prison after reaching a plea deal with the U.S. government.

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been released from prison, marking a significant development in a more than decade-long saga that has captivated global attention. Assange walked out of Belmarsh Prison after reaching a plea deal with the United States Justice Department.

He had spent the last five years incarcerated in Belmarsh Prison in the UK, following seven years of asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

According to a recent court filing in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange has been charged under Title 18, U.S.C. § 793(g), which pertains to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information.

The filing outlines that Assange conspired with Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, who held a TOP SECRET U.S. security clearance. The criminal information document filed on June 25, 2024, claims that Assange, who did not possess a U.S. security clearance, unlawfully conspired with Manning from 2009 through 2011.

It is alleged that their actions involved obtaining and disseminating documents related to national defense, some classified up to the SECRET level. This included willfully communicating these documents to unauthorized persons, violating multiple sections of the United States Code.

In a statement outside the prison, Assange's fiancée, Stella Moris, expressed relief and gratitude to the supporters who have campaigned for his release. "Today is a victory for justice and for Julian. He has endured unimaginable suffering for revealing the truth, and we are overjoyed to have him back with us," Moris said, holding their young children.

Human rights organizations and freedom of speech advocates have welcomed Assange's release, citing the importance of protecting journalistic integrity and the right to publish information in the public interest. Amnesty International issued a statement calling for the charges against Assange to be dropped, emphasizing that his case has significant implications for press freedom globally.

Assange is expected to attend the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday. According to the deal, he will be sentenced to 62 months in prison, with credit for the time he has already served in Belmarsh. Assange is then expected to return to his home country of Australia.

You can read the court filing at the link below.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nmid.6474/gov.uscourts.nmid.6474.1.0.pdf