Julian Assange departs UK on $500,000 private jet following release in US plea deal | Global News

Julian Assange is heading to his native Australia on a private jet after US authorities have agreed to withdraw their request for extradition from the UK, reaching a plea deal with the WikiLeaks founder.

Assange arranged a chartered flight from Stansted to Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, by paying $500,000 (£394,000), where he will admit to one charge of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information.

As part of the deal, he will be sentenced to time served, which includes the 62 months he has already spent in a British prison, according to court documents.

Once his guilty plea is accepted by a judge, the 52-year-old will be free to return to Australia, his country of birth.

The chartered flight made a stop in Bangkok for refueling on its way to Saipan.

Accompanied by a WikiLeaks lawyer, an Australian government representative, and a medic to assess his health, Assange is making this journey.

US prosecutors had accused Assange of endangering lives by assisting former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in stealing diplomatic cables and military documents that WikiLeaks published in 2010.

He had been embroiled in a legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which involved seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 before being incarcerated in Belmarsh prison, where he has been since May 2019.

‘Julian is free!’

According to a post on X by WikiLeaks, Assange departed Belmarsh on Monday morning after being granted bail by the High Court. By afternoon, he was at Stansted Airport, boarding a plane to leave the UK.

“After more than five years in a 2×3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange and their children, who have only known their father behind bars,” the organization stated.

Mrs. Assange shared a video montage of her husband in a car and boarding a plane on social media.

She wrote: “Julian is free!!!!

“Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU – yes YOU, who have all mobilized for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.”

On X, she mentioned that Assange will owe $520,000 to the Australian government for the chartered flight and requested donations to assist in covering the cost.

Speaking from Australia, Mrs. Assange informed the PA news agency, “It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long. It had become normalized. I am grateful to the people who made this possible but I am also angry that it ever came to this.

“Overall I am elated but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian.”

Mrs. Assange mentioned that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s intervention was crucial in her husband’s release, as he made strong demands for the US to drop charges against Assange.

“The public opinion has shifted, and everyone now understands that Julian has been the victim,” she stated.

“Things are still very sensitive. Julian is covering the cost of the flight, so we will launch a fundraising campaign.”

She added that she traveled to Australia with their two young sons, Gabriel and Max, on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed.

WikiLeaks provided an update on Assange’s journey on X, showcasing a picture of him on a jet approaching Bangkok for a layover.