Julian Assange Pleads Guilty to Espionage Charge

WikiLeaks Founder Faces Years in Prison

Founder of Anti-Secrecy Website Accused of Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified Information

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single charge of publishing classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents. The 52-year-old Australian will face years in prison for his role in the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history.

The charge stems from Assange's involvement in the 2010 publication of thousands of classified documents leaked by former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The documents included information on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as U.S. diplomatic cables.

Assange's guilty plea came after a lengthy legal battle that included extradition proceedings from the United Kingdom to the United States. He has been held in a London prison since 2019, fighting extradition to the U.S. where he faces 17 charges under the Espionage Act.

The plea deal allows Assange to return to Australia after serving his sentence in the U.S. However, he could face additional charges in other countries, including Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning in a sexual assault case.