US authorities have dropped their extradition demand for Julian Assange after a plea deal was reached.
Assange will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and will be sentenced to time served—62 months.
This agreement means Assange, 52, will be free to return to Australia once a judge accepts his plea.
READ MORE: Sports-loving barber who has been cutting hair for 50 YEARS has his own ‘rugby museum’ inside salon
Assange was accused of endangering lives by helping Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files, which WikiLeaks published in 2010.
He had been fighting extradition from the UK, including seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy and later being detained in Belmarsh prison since May 2019.
WikiLeaks announced Assange’s release on social media, stating he left Belmarsh on Monday and boarded a plane at Stansted Airport.
Stella Assange expressed immense gratitude to supporters and shared their family’s plans to reunite in Sydney.
Assange’s plea and sentencing will take place on Wednesday morning, local time, in Saipan.
READ MORE: Deadly Attacks On Churches, Synagogue, Police Post Leave Over 15 Dead In Dagestan, Russia
