Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been released after 12 years following an unexpected plea deal with the US government. The 52-year-old Australian pleaded guilty to conspiring unlawfully to obtain and disseminate classified information, marking a significant moment in his legal battle.
Assange, who had long harbored a deep mistrust of the US, formalized his agreement in a US courtroom on the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory located in the Pacific. The judge granted him credit for time served in a British prison, allowing him to walk free.