At long last, Julian Assange has his freedom – but he had to cut a deal for it.

In return for pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, Assange has been sentenced to time served: 62 months – the time he has already spent in a British prison.

Once the guilty plea was accepted by a judge, he was free to return to Australia – and was on a plane before This Writer was able to write this article about it.

I tend to agree with fellow social media site Skwawkbox on the circumstances in which Assange secured his freedom:

The case should have been kicked out years ago after the main witness against Assange admitted he had been lying all along.

US prosecutors have filed court paperwork regarding the deal, which was first floated in April. If confirmed, the manoeuvre will still set a precedent threatening journalism and the public right to know, but surely few would blame Assange for taking it and ending his and his family’s ordeal.

The announcement has been greeted with joy, by Wikileaks, the organisation through which Assange published the military secrets that led the United States government to accuse him of putting its personnel at risk:

JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE

Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a…

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024

By personal friend (and current UK Parliamentary candidate) Craig Murray:

The Happiest of Days – I cannot tell you how happy I am at Julian’s release. It is 4.00am and I haven’t been to bed yet. I have spoken to John Shipton but everyone else is on a plane en route to Australia.

The guilty plea is of course coerced in the https://t.co/U9MlWMJRDP

— Craig Murray (@CraigMurrayOrg) June 25, 2024

By Jeremy Corbyn:

Julian Assange is free.

Julian exposed the crimes of the powerful. His incarceration was — and always will be — a grotesque miscarriage of justice.

Never stop fighting for the truth. Never lose hope. Never, ever give up.

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 25, 2024

And by This Writer.

But while I am glad that Assange’s ordeal – which has seriously threatened his health, although he is expected to recover – is over, I remain concerned about the implications of the deal for freedom of speech. Who will be next?

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