Australian Leaders Welcome Expected Plea Agreement For Julian Assange

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrivies at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London, Feb. 7, 2011. Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that wi

Australian leaders have cautiously welcomed an expected plea agreement that could lead to the release of Julian Assange, who has been pursued for years over WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that there was nothing to be gained by keeping the Australian incarcerated.

Assange is anticipated to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information in a U.S. federal court. If the plea agreement is accepted by a judge, Assange is expected to return to Australia.