---
title: "Assange's Plea Deal: Impact on Press Freedom"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/31042/assange-s-plea-deal-impact-on-press-freedom
published: 2024-06-25T07:29:31Z
language: en
section: "International"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Assange's Plea Deal: Impact on Press Freedom

> Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, is scheduled to plead guilty on Wednesday to a charge under the US Espionage Act as part of an agreement with the US Department of Justice.

Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, is scheduled to plead guilty on Wednesday to a charge under the US Espionage Act as part of an agreement with the US Department of Justice.

![AP / In this May 19, 2017 file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been in self-imposed exile since 2012](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/fe707e3e-dfad-46c9-9edf-5bf53465d778.jpg)

*Sursa: AP / In this May 19, 2017 file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been in self-imposed exile since 2012*

This arrangement will bring an end to his imprisonment in the United Kingdom and facilitate his return to Australia, marking the culmination of a 14-year legal saga, according to [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/wikileaks-julian-assange-set-be-freed-after-pleading-guilty-us-espionage-charge-2024-06-25/).

According to court documents, Assange will admit to conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defense information, as reported by [The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/julian-assange-reaches-plea-deal-with-us-that-will-let-him-return-to-australia/).

The decision to hold the plea hearing in Saipan stems from Assange's refusal to travel to the continental United States and his proximity to Australia, as reported by [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/media/live/2024/jun/25/julian-assange-prison-release-live-updates-plea-deal-return-australia-wikileaks-leaves-uk).

The agreement has stirred controversy and drawn criticism from supporters of press freedom, who view this decision as a threat to investigative journalism and press freedom in general, [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/wikileaks-assange-expected-plead-guilty-us-espionage-charge-document-says-2024-06-24/) reports.

Following a global campaign and extensive support from press freedom activists, Assange is preparing to return to Australia, where his arrival is eagerly anticipated by family and supporters.

The agreement marks a significant milestone in Assange's saga, which began with his arrest in the UK in 2010 and concluded with his extradition from the Ecuadorian embassy in 2019.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**