In his first public address following his release from prison, Julian Assange discussed the effects of his detention and conviction during a speech to the legal affairs and human rights committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, France.
Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is an Australian journalist who rose to international prominence in 2010. That year, he published a series of classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents leaked by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. These documents included details on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as sensitive diplomatic cables. Some of the most significant revelations involved video footage of airstrikes that killed civilians, intelligence regarding Guantanamo Bay detainees, and confidential U.S. assessments of foreign governments.
The leaks sparked widespread debates about government transparency, whistleblower protection, and national security. The U.S. government accused Assange of endangering lives through the release of classified information, claiming that it compromised military operations and put U.S. personnel and foreign informants at risk. Despite this, Assange maintained that his work was a form of journalism aimed at holding governments accountable.
His supporters hailed him as a champion of free speech, while his critics viewed him as reckless and dangerous. In 2012, Assange sought asylum in Ecuador to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he denied. Assange feared that if extradited to Sweden, he would ultimately be handed over to the United States, facing severe charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified documents.
Ecuador granted him asylum, allowing him to remain in its London embassy for nearly seven years. He lived under diplomatic protection, fearing arrest and extradition. In 2019, Swedish authorities dropped the sexual assault charges against him, but by then, his legal battles had escalated.
Later in 2019, Ecuador revoked Assange’s asylum, and he was arrested by British authorities for breaching his bail conditions. He had skipped bail by seeking refuge in the embassy instead of surrendering to UK authorities. After his arrest, he was convicted of breaching the UK Bail Act and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison. Meanwhile, the U.S. government unsealed an indictment against him, charging him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion related to his collaboration with Manning.
Shortly after, a U.S. grand jury added 17 more charges under the Espionage Act, bringing the total to 18 charges. The indictment accused Assange of unlawfully obtaining and publishing classified national defense information, which the government argued endangered military personnel and compromised U.S. security. The use of the Espionage Act in Assange's case sparked controversy, particularly among press freedom advocates, who argued that prosecuting him blurred the line between investigative journalism and criminal activity.
Assange’s supporters contended that he was being punished for doing what journalists often do—publishing leaked information in the public interest. The charges raised concerns about the potential implications for press freedom and the First Amendment in the U.S.
In June 2024, Assange pleaded guilty in a U.S. court as part of a deal that ended his 14-year legal battle. He entered a formal plea to a single felony charge of violating the Espionage Act in the Northern Mariana Islands two days after being released from a British prison. In exchange, he was sentenced to time served and set free to return home to Australia.
WATCH: Julian Assange speaks publicly for the first time since his release from prison, saying he "plead guilty to journalism" to secure his freedom