Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with US and be freed from prison

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is set to plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department. This agreement will lead to his release from prison and resolve a lengthy legal battle surrounding the publication of classified documents. Assange will admit to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, under an Espionage Act charge. The deal includes a sentence of five years, which matches the time he has already spent in a British prison while fighting extradition to the U.S. Assange's plea and sentencing are scheduled to take place in the Mariana Islands, where he will return to Australia afterward. The case has sparked debates about press freedom, with some viewing Assange as a hero for exposing military wrongdoing, while others criticize his actions for endangering national security. The agreement comes after years of legal battles and shifts in the U.S. government's stance on prosecuting Assange, with President Joe Biden considering dropping the case following a request from Australia.