Will the US drop its extradition request? Julian Assange could be set free

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

It is alleged that the US Department of Justice is considering whether to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty to a 'misdemeanor' charge to avoid being extradited to the US on espionage charges.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, unnamed sources stated that the potential deal would involve the WikiLeaks founder pleading guilty to the mishandling of classified information, with the five years he has already spent in London's Belmarsh Prison counting as time served.

According to the report, Assange's lawyers and US officials have held preliminary discussions in recent months to draft a possible plea bargain. However, the imprisoned journalist's lawyer, Barry Pollack, stated that there is 'no indication' that the department is prepared to accept a deal.

If an agreement is reached, the legal battle that has been ongoing for more than a decade would come to an end. Following his arrest by British police in 2010 over sexual assault allegations, which he denied, Assange was released on bail in 2012 and sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He was arrested again in 2019 after Ecuador revoked his asylum status and has remained in Belmarsh ever since.

The US Department of Justice issued an indictment against Assange containing 17 separate espionage charges at the time of his arrest in the UK. If the former WikiLeaks boss is extradited to the US and convicted, he could face up to 175 years in prison.

The charges stem from the publication of various classified materials, including Pentagon documents detailing alleged war crimes committed by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The UK Home Office approved Assange's transfer to the US in 2022, but Assange, whose health has deteriorated after nearly five years of solitary confinement, has repeatedly filed appeals, none of which have been successful. Last month, the British High Court postponed a decision on whether to grant Assange a final chance to appeal his extradition.

Washington's use of the Espionage Act to prosecute Assange has sparked controversy, as the Australian-born journalist published the classified material in question but did not 'steal' it. Former US President Barack Obama had refused to file charges against Assange, arguing that his activities were no different from those of any newspaper and were therefore protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

News Source: 12punto