Summary of the day so far
Julian Assange is on a plane departing from Bangkok, Thailand en route to the island Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands. The WikiLeaks founder was earlier released from Belmarsh prison in London on Monday.
Assange, 52, is scheduled to be sentenced in a US district court in Saipan at 9am local time on Wednesday (11pm GMT on Tuesday).
He is expected to accept a charge under the US Espionage Act in front of a US federal judge. Under the deal, which must be approved by a judge, Assange is likely to be credited for the five years he has already served and face no new jail time.
Experts have warned that the plea deal struck between the WikiLeaks founder and the US authorities could set a dangerous precedent. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech.
There was a mixed reaction to the news of the plea deal across the US political spectrum. James Clapper, director of US national intelligence in 2010 when Assange and his WikiLeaks organization published secret US intelligence documents with a consortium of newspaper, said Assange had “paid his dues”. Former US vice-president Mike Pence, however, described Assange’s plea deal as “a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our armed forces and their families”.
WikiLeaks said Assange had left Belmarsh prison on Monday morning, after 1,901 days of captivity there. He had spent the time, the organisation said, “in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day”.
Assange was set to be reunited with his wife, Stella, and their two children. Stella Assange, a human rights lawyer, spoke of her elation that he has been released and will soon be a “free man”. She said she had not yet informed their two boys, aged five and seven, of the plans for fear of the information leaking.
Experts warn Assange plea deal could set dangerous precedent
The next UK government must push the US for reassurance it will not pursue journalists for publishing classified information, human rights organisations and experts have argued after the release of Julian Assange.
Experts have warned that the plea deal struck between the WikiLeaks founder and the US authorities – which will see him plead guilty to one charge under the Espionage Act, but avoid serving any additional time in custody – could set a dangerous precedent.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called his release a “significant victory for media freedom” with its general secretary, Anthony Bellanger, adding:
Had Assange gone to prison for the rest of his life, any reporter handed a classified document would fear facing a similar fate.
But Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), said it was “alarming” the plea had been pursued. He said:
The plea deal won’t have the precedential effect of a court ruling, but it will still hang over the heads of national security reporters for years to come.
It was a sentiment echoed by Stella Assange, who said her husband would seek a pardon after accepting the charge. She told Reuters:
The fact that there is a guilty plea, under the Espionage Act in relation to obtaining and disclosing National Defence information is obviously a very serious concern for journalists and national security journalists in general.
