Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been granted a reprieve from extradition to the United States. The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly considering a plea deal that would allow Assange to plead guilty to a reduced charge of mishandling classified information.
This development comes after Assange spent 12 years under house arrest or detention while contesting extradition to the United States. The reduced charge is less severe than the espionage charges Assange currently faces for publishing thousands of classified files on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
If the plea deal is accepted, Assange could potentially avoid a lengthy prison sentence. The time he spent in London jail could potentially count toward any prison time the U.S. would impose, opening the possibility that Assange could be set free after the deal is made.
Assange has spent the last five years in the UK’s custody, preceded by seven years spent in a foreign embassy. He has repeatedly fought to stay in UK prison over the last five years and recently filed a last-ditch appeal claiming that he faced prosecution in the U.S. for his political views. The High Court is expected to rule on his appeal in the coming weeks.
The potential plea deal is seen as a significant legal breakthrough for Assange, who has been at the center of a long-standing legal battle involving multiple countries. However, it is not clear whether the Justice Department would accept the deal. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for press freedoms and the handling of classified information.
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