WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange was believed to be in a plane that arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday. He travelled to negotiate a plea deal with the United States government that would grant him freedom and settle a lengthy legal battle spanning multiple continents over the release of classified documents.
The private flight VJT199 touched down shortly after noon at Don Mueang International Airport, located north of Bangkok. Airport officials informed The Associated Press that the aircraft was stopping in Bangkok only to refuel and was scheduled to continue to Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific, where Assange is set to appear in court on Wednesday morning local time.
Assange is anticipated to admit guilt to a charge under the Espionage Act for conspiring to illegally acquire and distribute classified national defense information, according to a letter from the U.S. Justice Department filed in court.
Following his plea and sentencing, Assange is expected to return to his native Australia. The court hearing is being held in Saipan due to Assange’s reluctance to travel to the continental United States and the location’s relative closeness to Australia, as explained by prosecutors.
The plea agreement, which requires a judge’s approval, concludes a high-profile criminal case involving international drama and the U.S. government’s persistent efforts to prosecute a publisher whose widely-followed secret-sharing platform made him a hero to many advocates of press freedom, who argue he acted as a journalist to uncover U.S. military misconduct. In contrast, investigators have consistently maintained that his actions violated laws designed to safeguard sensitive information and endangered national security.
Nancy Mbamalu
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