Wikileaks founder Julian Assange expected to plead guilty to felony charge of Espionage

[essentialsaltes]

LINK

Julian Assange, the founder of the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks, has reached a tentative deal to plead guilty on Monday to one count of violating the Espionage Act for his role in obtaining and publishing classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010, according to a court filing Monday evening.

A criminal information filed Monday evening in federal court says Assange “knowingly and unlawfully conspired” to “receive and obtain documents ... connected with the national defense” and “communicate” that information to persons not entitled to receive them.” A criminal information like the one filed Monday often signals a defendant has agreed to plead guilty. Assange will appear in court in the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the filing.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Under the terms of the new agreement, Justice Department prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence – which is equal to the amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while he fought extradition to the US. The plea deal would credit that time served, allowing Assange to immediately return to Australia, his native country.

The plea deal must still be approved by a federal judge.

Assange had faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his alleged role in the breach that carried a max of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full.

 

[Goonie]

Under the terms of the new agreement, Justice Department prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence – which is equal to the amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while he fought extradition to the US. The plea deal would credit that time served, allowing Assange to immediately return to Australia, his native country.

The plea deal must still be approved by a federal judge.

Assange had faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his alleged role in the breach that carried a max of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full.

Sounds like the US has managed to not only get him to serve a prison sentence for the offence, but also not even have to pay for his upkeep.

 

[HantsUK]

Sounds like the US has managed to not only get him to serve a prison sentence for the offence, but also not even have to pay for his upkeep.

Assange is now back home in Australia.

What a good idea: the UK should send a bill to the USA for the 4 years of accommodation in HM Prison Belmarsh. And the legal costs of dealing with the USA extradition requests. We will almost certainly have a new government in a week's time, and they will need all the help that they can get to raise taxes and funds.

Perhaps Guatemala might like some payment for the 7 years that Assange spent in their embassy.

 

[Goonie]

Assange is now back home in Australia.

What a good idea: the UK should send a bill to the USA for the 4 years of accommodation in HM Prison Belmarsh. And the legal costs of dealing with the USA extradition requests. We will almost certainly have a new government in a week's time, and they will need all the help that they can get to raise taxes and funds.

Perhaps Guatemala might like some payment for the 7 years that Assange spent in their embassy.

Ecuador I think, rather than Guatemala.

 

[HantsUK]

Ecuador I think, rather than Guatemala.

You're right - it was the Ecuadorian Embassy.