Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has recently agreed to plead guilty to US authorities after a long legal battle that has lasted more than a decade. After being released from a high-security prison near London where he had been incarcerated for five years, Assange immediately left the United Kingdom, marking a new chapter in his legal struggle that began in 2006 when he launched WikiLeaks to expose government secrets and abuses.
Assange gained international attention in 2010 when he published confidential documents on the operations of the international coalition in Afghanistan, American invasion of Iraq reports, and American diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks website. While some viewed him as a champion of freedom of information, others saw him as a “high-tech terrorist.” In 2010, Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange for rape and sexual assault charges, which he denied.
After seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012, Assange remained there for nearly seven years until his arrest by British police in 2019. He was sentenced to prison for violating the conditions of his release and faced extradition to the United States on hacking charges. Assange was later indicted on espionage charges in the US and faced up to 175 years in prison.
In 2021, the British court rejected the US extradition request citing concerns about Assange’s treatment in American prisons. However, in 2022, the High Court overturned this decision paving way for Assange’s extradition. He appealed this decision and a further hearing was scheduled for July 2022. In June 2023, Assange reached a plea agreement with US authorities that allowed him to leave UK and face charges in federal court.
The legal battle of Julian Assange has drawn attention from around the world with major newspapers and political figures calling for prosecution to be dropped. As of now, Assange awaits final appeal against his extradition scheduled for July 24th
