WikiLeaks founder may be allowed to plead guilty to a lesser crime.
The US Department of Justice is considering offering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a deal with the investigation. According to sources familiar with the WSJ, the government may allow Assange to plead guilty to a lesser crime - improper handling of classified information. This could pave the way for his release from a British prison, where he has been held since 2019, pending a decision on possible extradition to the United States.
Assange was arrested at the request of the US authorities after WikiLeaks published tens of thousands of secret Pentagon documents and diplomatic cables that revealed details of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, he has been charged with 18 counts of conspiracy to disclose classified data and hacking into military computers. The defense claims that he only published the information transmitted to him, acting as a journalist.
It is assumed that in the event of a deal, Assange can quickly leave prison. He will be able to plead guilty remotely without coming to the United States, and the time already served in Britain will be counted against the penalty. After that, Assange can be extradited to Australia to continue serving his sentence in his homeland. The Australian government is generally supportive of Assange, and experts say that once he is on Australian soil, he will be released.
A final decision on the extradition is expected in the coming weeks. If the court denies him the right to appeal, the US authorities will have 28 days to take Assange to their territory for trial. Now the discussion of a possible deal continues, but negotiations may still break down.
The US Department of Justice is considering offering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a deal with the investigation. According to sources familiar with the WSJ, the government may allow Assange to plead guilty to a lesser crime - improper handling of classified information. This could pave the way for his release from a British prison, where he has been held since 2019, pending a decision on possible extradition to the United States.
Assange was arrested at the request of the US authorities after WikiLeaks published tens of thousands of secret Pentagon documents and diplomatic cables that revealed details of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, he has been charged with 18 counts of conspiracy to disclose classified data and hacking into military computers. The defense claims that he only published the information transmitted to him, acting as a journalist.
It is assumed that in the event of a deal, Assange can quickly leave prison. He will be able to plead guilty remotely without coming to the United States, and the time already served in Britain will be counted against the penalty. After that, Assange can be extradited to Australia to continue serving his sentence in his homeland. The Australian government is generally supportive of Assange, and experts say that once he is on Australian soil, he will be released.
A final decision on the extradition is expected in the coming weeks. If the court denies him the right to appeal, the US authorities will have 28 days to take Assange to their territory for trial. Now the discussion of a possible deal continues, but negotiations may still break down.
