Deal with US authorities Julian Assange is surprisingly released

A bitter legal tug-of-war has been going on for many years over Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Now events are suddenly coming thick and fast.

The years of legal wrangling surrounding Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have taken a surprising turn. According to Wikileaks, Assange was released from prison after five years in London - unnoticed by the public - and left the UK. The portal published a video on Tuesday night that is said to show the 52-year-old boarding a plane at London's Stansted Airport on Monday. There was initially no official confirmation from the British authorities. The background to this is a legal deal between Assange and the US judiciary, which had previously insisted that the Australian be extradited to the United States - but now wants to refrain from doing so.

The deal with the USA

Assange negotiated an agreement with the US Department of Justice under which he will plead guilty in part to the espionage scandal in return for being spared further imprisonment in the US, according to court documents published on Monday evening US East Coast time. However, a court still has to approve the agreement. Assange is due to appear before a court in a remote US territory this Wednesday (local time): the Mariana Islands.

The archipelago is located in the Western Pacific, north of Assange's home country Australia, and is under US jurisdiction. A letter from the US Department of Justice states that the location was chosen because Assange did not want to travel to the United States and the archipelago is close to Australia. Assange is expected to plead guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain and distribute classified documents at the court hearing on Wednesday. He is then expected to travel on to Australia. According to US media, Assange is to be sentenced to a good five years in prison - which he has already served in the UK. He would therefore soon be a free man.

The accusations against Assange

The USA had previously demanded Assange's extradition. They accuse him of stealing and publishing secret material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, thereby endangering the lives of US whistleblowers. Assange's supporters, on the other hand, see him as a target of the Washington justice system for uncovering US war crimes. If convicted without an agreement with the prosecution, Assange could face up to 175 years in prison for espionage.

Wikileaks wrote on X that there had been long negotiations with the US Department of Justice. The agreement reached has not yet been finalized. After more than five years "in a cell measuring two by three meters, in which he was isolated 23 hours a day", Assange will soon be reunited with his wife Stella Assange and their two children, "who have only known their father behind bars".

The odyssey of the Wikileaks founder

Assange began his sentence in the high-security Belmarsh prison in London around five years ago. Before his arrest in April 2019, he had spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, evading law enforcement authorities. They had initially targeted him over allegations of rape in Sweden. However, these accusations were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. Human rights organizations, journalists' associations, artists and politicians have long been calling for Assange's immediate release.

The Australian government had also campaigned for the release of its citizen. US President Joe Biden recently raised some hope in this direction. When asked whether the USA wanted to consider an Australian request to drop the prosecution against Assange, he said: "We are considering it." So while there were signs of a possible political solution, the timing was surprising.

Assange had recently lodged an appeal in the UK against his extradition to the USA. The High Court in London was supposed to hear the case in July. This court had partially granted Assange's application in May, thereby averting an immediate transfer of the 52-year-old to the USA.

The "new phase of freedom"

Stella Assange called on supporters to help her husband after his release. "We intend to set up an emergency fund for Julian's health and recovery," she said in a video clip published on YouTube on Tuesday night. Assange's team had recently repeatedly warned that the Wikileaks founder's health was poor. He therefore did not attend court hearings in person.

"I ask you, if you can, to make a contribution and help us transition into this new phase of Julian's freedom," Stella Assange continued. The video was reportedly recorded on June 19. Wikileaks chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: "If you see this, it means he's out."

"My son's martyrdom finally comes to an end"

Assange's mother thanked the many supporters who had campaigned for the Australian for years. "I am grateful that my son's ordeal has finally come to an end," the Australian broadcaster ABC quoted from a statement by Christine Assange on Tuesday. "This shows how important and powerful quiet diplomacy is."

"Many have taken advantage of my son's situation to pursue their own agendas, so I am grateful to the unseen, hard-working people who have put Julian's welfare above all else," Christine Assange continued. "The last 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I want to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy."

Assange's father John Shipton told the ABC that all indications are that his son will be able to return to Australia: "As far as I understand it, Julian will be able to lead a normal life with his family and his wife Stella." Shipton thanked all supporters and especially the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The head of government, who had campaigned for a solution to the case, has not yet made any public statements.