Assange Back on Friendly Soil After 14-year Legal Battle

Several months ago, Joe Biden was asked about Assange, and while he said it may be something he would look into, there was little movement from the White House on this.

Then, suddenly this week, reports broke that a deal had been brokered to bring Assange back home.

He pleaded guilty to one charge (he was originally charged with 18 counts) and was free to leave the courtroom.

He’s Back

Assange’s “trial” was held in the U.S. territory of Saipan, the Northern Mariana Islands.

Right after his plea deal was made, accepted, and approved by the judge, Assange immediately got back on the plane to fly to Australia, landing in Canberra on Wednesday.

This was a huge moment for Assange, who had been charged in relation to the Chelsea Manning documents that were published by WikiLeaks.

The government had accused him of conspiring with Manning to steal the documents so he could publish them.

Assange has been either in exile or custody for more than a decade, so this had to be a huge weight off his shoulders, knowing all of that is finally behind him now.

Assange was last held in a British High-Security prison, spending the last five years there after having been arrested in 2019.

Prior to that, he spent roughly seven years as a political refugee in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Now, the question is if the government made stipulations about the documents on WikiLeaks, what could remain published, and what can he say publicly now that he has been set free?

My guess, at least for now, is that Assange is just happy to be back home in Australia and will stay reclusive for a spell to recover from the last 14 years.

Once he decides to stick his head up, though, I cannot wait to hear what he has to say.