By now, most of you have probably heard that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free…but at a cost. The 52-year-old Australian had to agree to a plea deal, basically admitting some form of guilt in order to be freed after “time served of 62 months, the equivalent to the prison time he spent in the United Kingdom,” as reported by Fox News.
Assange was released from a British prison Monday, and is scheduled to “appear later this week in the U.S. federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
People from all walks are responding to Assange’s sudden freedom. It’s kind of ironic that the establishment propaganda media are framing this as a move by the Justice Department (DOJ), most who are celebrating Assange’s freedom believe that Assange never should’ve been persecuted in the first place.
For context, Fox News reported the following about the charges that Assange has faced throughout this ordeal:
The charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history. Assange, an Australian citizen and hero to many free press advocates, disclosed tens of thousands of documents related to reports about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as State Department cables and information about the detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Here’s some reactions from X (formerly Twitter), with the first giving a detailed explanation on why “His Persecution Still Threatens Free Speech”:
Julian Assange Is Free. His Persecution Still Threatens Free Speech
— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) June 25, 2024
In a major victory for freedom of speech, the UK government has released investigative journalist Julian Assange from prison. A UN special rapporteur said last year that Assange’s treatment constituted a form of… pic.twitter.com/arvYdOYkig
It’s great that Julian Assange will finally be released (in what smells like a desperate Biden gambit for libertarian votes), but it’s shameful that he had to spend years rotting in a foreign prison for doing what other reporters do regularly, while the government employee who…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) June 25, 2024
Related: Biden FBI Restarts Social Media Censorship Push As Election Approaches
My plane landed in DC & I just heard Julian Assange will soon be free due to a deal.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 25, 2024
His liberation is great news, but it’s a travesty that he’s already spent so much time in jail.
Obama, Trump, & Biden should have never pursued this prosecution.
Pardon Snowden & Free Ross now
Julian Assange struck a plea deal and will go free! I am overjoyed. He's a generational hero.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 24, 2024
The bad news is that he had to plea guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense info. Which means the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and…
This should never have happened, but finally, Julian Assange is free.#freepress #firstamendement pic.twitter.com/8inNpvknxu
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) June 25, 2024
Julian Assange has reached a plea deal with the U.S., allowing him to go free 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/SSsJBAIrJq
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 24, 2024
What an incredible sight.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) June 25, 2024
Julian Assange walking FREE outdoors! https://t.co/pO6ov32HLn
What’s your take on Assange’s release?