Julian Assange

Julian Assange to make first public statement since release from prison

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will make his first public statements since he was released from prison when he addresses the Council of Europe on Tuesday. Assange, 53, is expected to give evidence to the legal affairs and human rights committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. The Parliamentary Assembly, which includes parliamentarians from 46 European countries, said the hearing will discuss Assange's detention and conviction and their chilling effect on human rights" ahead of a debate on the topic on Wednesday. WikiLeaks said in a statement that Assange will attend the hearing in person due to the exceptional nature of the invitation. Assange was released in June after five years in a British prison after he pleaded guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that concluded a drawn-out legal saga. Prior to his time in prison, he had spent seven years in self-imposed exile in

How Julian Assange, US prosecutors arrived at plea deal to end his case

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is back in Australia as a free man, having resolved through a plea deal a U.S. Justice Department case charging him with obtaining and publishing government secrets on his secret-spilling website. It was a stunning resolution to a polarizing drama that landed at the intersection of press freedom and national security, spanned three presidential administrations and played out across multiple continents. Here are some things to know: The negotiations The plea deal was the culmination of a lengthy negotiation process that accelerated in recent months and featured numerous proposals and counterproposals. About a year and a half ago, a lawyer for Assange made a presentation to federal prosecutors in Virginia that included a bold request: that they drop the case. That was untenable to the Justice Department, but months later prosecutors asked whether Assange would be open to resolving the case through a guilty plea. The Assange team was open to explorin

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WikiLeaks' Julian Assange walks free in Saipan after espionage admission

Julian Assange will be heading home to Australia after being released by a US court in Saipan, where he pleaded guilty to one count of espionage in a deal with the US Justice Department

Why Julian Assange's final court hearing will be on a remote Pacific island

Assange was en route to a courtroom on the island where he is expected to plead guilty in a plea deal that will see him walk free and return home to Australia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange freed from London prison, flown out of UK

Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, who has been fighting against his extradition to the US on espionage charges for over a decade, has been freed from prison and flown out of the UK under a plea deal with the American authorities. The 52-year-old Australian national was lodged at Belmarsh high-security prison in London since 2019 when he was taken into custody from the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he had sought asylum. It was revealed overnight on Monday that he has been freed. Assange will return to Australia, UK media reports said, citing a letter from the US Justice Department. He was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. In return for pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, the activist will be sentenced to time served, 62 months time already spent in a British prison, according to court documents. After a judge formally accepts this plea, Assange will be free to return to Australia, w

Key details about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his legal battles

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has reportedly pleaded guilty to espionage after striking a deal with the US Justice Department for his release from prison

Australian leaders cautiously welcome plea that could free Julian Assange

Australian leaders cautiously welcomed an expected plea agreement that could set free Julian Assange, who was pursued for years over WikiLeaks' publication of a trove of classified documents. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday there was nothing to be gained by keeping the Australian incarcerated. A plane thought to be carrying Assange landed Tuesday in Bangkok as he heads to the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Pacific midway between Australia and Japan, where he is expected to appear in a US federal court Wednesday local time. He is expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information, the US Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. Assange is expected to return to Australia if a judge accepts the plea agreement. Public support for Assange has grown in Australia during the seven years he has spent avoiding extradition to the United States by hiding i

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stops in Bangkok on his way to a US court

A plane believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has landed in Bangkok on Tuesday, as he is on the way to enter a plea deal with the US government that will free him and resolve the legal case that spanned years and continents over the publication of a trove of classified documents. The chartered plane VJT199 landed after noon at Don Mueang International Airport, north of the Thai capital. It is unclear if the plane is only refuelling or how Assange will continue travelling to the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, where he will appear in court Wednesday morning Saipan time. He's expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, according to the US Justice Department in a letter filed in court. Assange is expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. The hearing is taking place in Saipan, the largest islan

All you need to know about WikiLeaks and why it got Assange in trouble

In February this year, Assange's legal team sought permission for a final appeal, arguing the case was politically motivated

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty to be out of prison

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will free him from prison and resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centered on the publication of a trove of classified documents, according to court papers filed late Monday. Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. government's years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause clbre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing.

London court to decide whether WikiLeaks founder to be extradited to US

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces a hearing Monday in the High Court in London that could end with him being sent to the US to face espionage charges, or provide him another chance to appeal his extradition. The outcome will depend on how much weight judges give to assurances US officials have provided that Assange's rights won't be trampled if he goes on trial. In March, two judges rejected the bulk of Assange's arguments but said he could take his case to the Court of Appeal unless the US guaranteed he would not face the death penalty if extradited and would have the same free speech protections as a US citizen. The court said that if Assange, who is an Australian citizen, couldn't rely on the First Amendment then it was arguable his extradition would be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, which also provides free speech and press protections. The US has provided those reassurances, though Assange's legal team and supporters argue they are not good eno

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange facing pivotal moment in his long fight

The host of a news conference about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition fight wryly welcomed journalists last week to the millionth press briefing on his court case. Deborah Bonetti, director of the Foreign Press Association, was only half joking. Assange's legal saga has dragged on for well over a decade but it could come to an end in the UK as soon as Monday. Assange faces a hearing in London's High Court that could end with him being sent to the US to face espionage charges, or provide him another chance to appeal his extradition. The outcome will depend on how much weight judges give to reassurances US officials have provided that Assange's rights won't be trampled if he goes on trial. Here's a look at the case: WHAT ASSANGE IS CHARGED WITH Assange, 52, an Australian computer expert, has been indicted in the US on 18 charges over Wikileaks' publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010. Prosecutors say he conspired with US army intelligence

UK court says Assange can't be extradited until US rules out death penalty

A British court ruled on Tuesday that Julian Assange can't be extradited to the United States on espionage charges unless US authorities guarantee he won't get the death penalty, giving the WikiLeaks founder a partial victory in his long legal battle over the site's publication of classified American documents. Two High Court judges said they would grant Assange a new appeal unless US authorities give further assurances within three weeks about what will happen to him. The ruling means the legal saga, which has dragged on for more than a decade, will continue and Assange will remain inside London's high-security Belmarsh Prison, where he has spent the last five years. Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson said the US must guarantee that Assange, who is Australian, is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a United States citizen, and that the death penalty is not imposed. The judges said that if the US files new assurances, "we will give the parties an opportunity to .

London court to rule on Assange's appeal against extradition to US

A London court is scheduled Tuesday to rule whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets one final appeal in England to challenge extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Two judges are due to issue a judgment in the High Court that could put an end to Assange's long legal saga or further extend it. If he fails in winning the right to appeal, his legal team fears he could be swiftly sent to the US to face charges, though they're likely to ask the European Court of Human Rights to block any transfer. Assange, 52, has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website's publication of a trove of classified US documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange encouraged and helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published. During a two-day hearing last month, Assange's lawyers argued that he was a secrecy-busting journalist who exposed US .

UK court to rule on Mar 26 whether Assange can challenge extradition to US

A London court is due to rule whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gets one final appeal in England to challenge extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Two judges are scheduled to issue a judgment Tuesday morning in the High Court that could put an end to Assange's long legal saga or extend it further. If he fails in winning the right to appeal, his legal team fears he could be swiftly sent to the U.S. to face charges, though they're likely to ask the European Court of Human Rights to block any transfer. Assange, 52, has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website's publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published. During a two-day hearing last month, Assange's lawyers argued that he was a secrecy-busting journalist wh

WikiLeaks founder Assange faces last legal roll of the dice in Britain

Julian Assange's lawyers opened a final UK legal challenge on Tuesday to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges, arguing that American authorities are seeking to punish him for exposing serious criminal acts by the US government. Lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said Assange may suffer a flagrant denial of justice if he is sent to the US At a two-day High Court hearing, Assange's attorneys are asking judges to grant a new appeal, his last legal roll of the dice in Britain. Assange himself was not in court. Judge Victoria Sharp said he was granted permission to come from Belmarsh Prison for the hearing, but had chosen not to attend. Fitzgerald said the 52-year-old Australian was unwell. Stella Assange, his wife, said Julian had wanted to attend, but that his health was not in good condition." He was sick over Christmas, he's had a cough since then, she told The Associated Press. She said The WikiLeaks founder was following proceedings through

Assange begins final UK legal battle to avoid US extradition on spy charges

Julian Assange's lawyers will begin their final UK legal challenge on Tuesday to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges. The 52-year-old has been fighting extradition for more than a decade, including seven years in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the last five years in a high-security prison. Dozens of supporters holding Free Julian Assange signs and chanting there is only one decision no extradition held a noisy protest outside the High Court in London, where Assange's attorneys will ask two High Court judges to grant a new appeal hearing, his last legal roll of the dice in Britain. If the judges rule against Assange, he can ask the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition though supporters worry he could be put on a plane to the US before that happens. Supporters plan to demonstrate outside the neo-Gothic court building on both days and march to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office

WikiLeaks founder Assange starts final UK legal battle to stay out of US

Julian Assange's lawyers will begin their final UK legal challenge on Tuesday to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges. The 52-year-old has been fighting extradition for more than a decade, including seven years in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the last five years in a high-security prison. Assange's attorneys will ask two High Court judges to grant a new appeal hearing, his last legal roll of the dice in Britain. If the judges rule against Assange, he can ask the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition though supporters worry he could be put on a plane to the US before that happens. Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson could deliver a verdict at the end of the two-day hearing on Wednesday, but they're more likely to take several weeks to consider their decision. This hearing marks the beginning of the end of the extradition case, as any grounds rejected by these judges cannot be further ...

WikiLeaks founder Assange may be near end of his fight to stay out of US

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's fight to avoid facing spying charges in the United States may be nearing an end following a protracted legal saga in the U.K. that included seven years of self-exile inside a foreign embassy and five years in prison. Assange faces what could be his final court hearing in London next week as he tries to stop his extradition to the U.S. The High Court has scheduled two days of arguments over whether Assange can ask an appeals court to block his transfer. If the court doesn't allow the appeal to go forward, he could be sent across the Atlantic. His wife says the decision is a matter of life and death for Assange, whose health has deteriorated during his time in custody. His life is at risk every single day he stays in prison, Stella Assange said Thursday. If he's extradited, he will die. WHAT IS ASSANGE CHARGED WITH? Assange, 52, an Australian computer expert, has been indicted in the U.S. on 18 charges over Wikileaks' publication of hundreds of ...