Assange has spent five years in the high-security Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London and previously spent seven years in self-exile at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. His asylum was withdrawn, and he was forcibly removed from the embassy and arrested in April 2019. Since then, he has been imprisoned in London without being convicted of a crime.
The Extradition Battle
Assange has been fighting extradition to the U.S. for more than a decade. In March, the High Court in London allowed him a full hearing on his appeal as he sought assurances that he could rely on the First Amendment during a trial in the United States. In May, two High Court judges permitted a full hearing on whether Assange would be discriminated against in the U.S. because he is a foreign national. A hearing on Assange’s free speech rights was scheduled for July 9-10, prompting the U.S. to offer a plea deal.
Julian Assange’s impending guilty plea marks a significant moment in the ongoing saga of WikiLeaks and its founder. The case continues to stir debates on issues of the First Amendment, transparency, national security, and the role of whistleblowers in modern society.
