WikiLeaks Founder Assange Walks Free After Pleading Guilty, Will Return to Australia

Plea deal resolves a longstanding legal battle with the U.S. government stemming from one of the largest leaks of classified information in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (C) arrives at the United States courthouse where he is expected enter a plea deal in Saipan, Mariana Islands, on June 26, 2024. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walked free after pleading guilty on June 25 to a single felony charge related to the publication of classified U.S. military information, ending a yearslong legal battle with the U.S. government.

The move allows the 52-year-old to return home to his native Australia for the first time since 2012.