Julian Assange pleads guilty, leaves courtroom a free man

Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose national defense information in a U.S. court in the Northern Mariana Islands, received a 62-month sentence credited as time served in the UK, and was released to return to Australia. The article recounts his legal saga from Swedish allegations and asylum in Ecuador’s London embassy to prolonged U.S. extradition efforts, notes Australian government advocacy for a resolution, mentions fundraising for travel costs, and outlines debate over the implications for journalism, national security, and precedent under the Espionage Act.