Wikileaks founder set to return to Australia.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has agreed a plea deal with the United States that will see him free to return to Australia.
A 2019 statement saw 18 charges levied against Assange, accusing him of conspiring to break into US military databases to acquire sensitive information. Previously, Wikileaks published sensitive military documents and videos, with the US arguing these endangered lives.
After being removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2019, he spent the past five years in Belmarsh Prison, which will be credited to him as time served.
A statement from Wikileaks, posted on X, said his release was “the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations.
“WikiLeaks published ground breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know.“
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
