Julian Assange Is Free And May Shortly Be Back In Australia

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count in relation to charges over disseminating national security material.

The plea deal was in exchange for his release from a British prison, clearing the way for him to return to Australia, avoiding the need to face charges in the United States.

It brings to an end the 14-year ordeal that saw him spend seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and a further five years in a British prison fighting US attempts to extradite him.

Listen now:

In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Kym Staton, documentary filmmaker and Director of The Trust Fall: Julian Assange, to find out how and why Assange has finally decided to end his campaign for justice and return home.

“The discussions about a plea deal have been going on for about a year now, and there’s been little bits of news have come out,” Staton said.

“There was mixed responses about that prospect, whether that was a good option and there was also some speculation as to whether Julian would go for something like that.

“Because all the way through this battle, he’s been very stoic, very determined to carry on with his mission and not to admit any kind of guilt.”

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