Assange set free in US, heads to Australia on $520,000 chartered flight

Admin I Wednesday, June 26, 2024

 

CANBERRA, Australia – Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange has regained his freedom and presently on a chattered flight to Australia.

Assange was set free after over two hours hearing in a federal court in Mariana Island in  the United States during which he entered a guilty plea to one count charge of espionage.

This effectively ended  over 5 years battle by the US to extradite him from the United Kingdom for trial in the United States.

The US sought Assange’s prosecution for leaking Strategic information about US war in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places.

Asange denied allegations of treasonable felony, stressing that he was mainly doing his job as a journalist.

Asange will however arrive Canberra in debt since he will have to pay the $520,000 paid for the private jet that flew him to Australia.

His wife is waiting in Canberra to receive him.

Meanwhile, Wikileaks has announced that there will be a press conference shortly after his arrival.

Julian Assange took refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in the UK over five years ago and he has been in the UK until Tuesday when he left for US for the trial.

His lawyers in Australia intend to file a suit seeking for his pardon as a result of the implications of his guilty plea on journalism.

Already he has been able to raise over half of the money through donations.

He is now looking for £206,343.

“Your extraordinary donations of £313,657 got Julian Assange as far as Saipan.

“Can you help us cover the rest of his #FreedomFlight to Australia: £206,343 to get him home”, Wikileaks said on X.