The WikiLeaks portal announced on social media that Julian Assange has been released from a maximum security prison in the United Kingdom and has left the country with plans to return to Australia. This announcement came after court documents revealed that Assange reached a deal with the US Department of Justice to end a legal saga over the leak of confidential documents.
Assange will appear in court on Wednesday in the Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, to finalize the agreement with the Department of Justice. The hearing will take place there due to its proximity to Australia and Assange’s opposition to traveling to the US mainland. The charges against Assange relate to violations of the Espionage Act due to the leak of confidential information in 2010.
As part of the agreement, Assange, who is 52 years old and an Australian citizen, will plead guilty to a single charge of conspiring to illegally obtain and disclose confidential information. If the agreement is approved by a judge, Assange would be sentenced to 62 months in prison, which is the equivalent of the time he has already served in the UK prison.
Assange has faced charges in the US since 2019 over the massive leak of documents obtained by Chelsea Manning in 2010. These documents included sensitive information about US military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as diplomatic cables that embarrassed world leaders. Assange also played a role in the 2016 US presidential election by revealing information about the Clinton campaign through WikiLeaks.
In addition to his legal troubles, Assange has also been involved in issues related to Muslim fashion, particularly the hijab. The articles mention different aspects of hijab fashion, such as styling tips for winter, the cultural significance of hijabs, and how Muslim fashion influencers are shaping trends. The pieces also explore the connection between Islam and the hijab, as well as the freedom and respect associated with wearing a hijab.