WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, recently released after five years in a British prison, declared that his plea of “guilty to journalism” secured his freedom, as he addressed European lawmakers about his years of incarceration.
Assange, who spent five years in a British prison and seven years in self-imposed exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, addressed lawmakers from 46 European countries during a session of the assembly's legal affairs and human rights committee in Strasbourg, France. He detailed the impact of his years of confinement and reflected on his plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department, which concluded a long legal battle.
"I am not free today because the system worked," Assange said. "I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism."
In June, Assange struck a deal with U.S. prosecutors, pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing classified U.S. military secrets. His plea, under the Espionage Act, allowed him to avoid further prison time, serving only the five years he had already spent in the U.K. while fighting extradition to the United States. Assange was accused of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and publish classified defense information, revealing misconduct by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I pled guilty to seeking information from a source. I pled guilty to obtaining information from a source. And I pled guilty to informing the public what that information was," Assange explained during his address, emphasizing that his actions were consistent with journalistic practices.
His plea ended one of the most high-profile legal sagas of recent years. WikiLeaks, under Assange's leadership, published hundreds of thousands of U.S. war logs and diplomatic cables, exposing details about military operations that might have otherwise remained concealed. The leaked documents included a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.
Assange's defenders, including press freedom advocates, praised him for bringing to light the actions of the U.S. military, arguing that his work was crucial for accountability and transparency. However, critics contend that his activities jeopardized national security and endangered individuals who had provided sensitive information to U.S. forces.
Assange expressed the toll that years of isolation and imprisonment had taken on him. "It strips away one's sense of self, leaving only the raw essence of existence," he said, offering an emotional apology for his "faltering words" as he spoke about his experience. He acknowledged that he is still struggling to come to terms with the ordeal, saying, "I'm not yet fully equipped to speak about what I have endured - the relentless struggle to stay alive, both physically and mentally."
The case against Assange ended when he entered his plea in a U.S. district court on the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean. The judge sentenced him to the time he had already served in the U.K. Assange returned to Australia in late June to recover with his family before making his first public appearance on Tuesday.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had previously declared Assange a political prisoner, issuing a draft resolution condemning his treatment and expressing concern over his harsh detention conditions in the U.K. high-security prison.
Assange's case has sparked intense debate globally about the role of journalism, national security, and freedom of information, leaving a lasting impact on how such issues will be navigated in the future.
Reader Comments
Make connections. What happened to the January 6th "insurrectionists"? They were put into years of isolation and imprisonment without due process.