Julian Assange: What Happened? Conviction, Release, and Where He Is Now

For fourteen years, Julian Assange’s name has been synonymous with a sprawling legal battle that stretched from London to Washington. His journey from founder of WikiLeaks to a prisoner in Belmarsh to a free man back in Australia is one of the most dramatic press freedom sagas of the century. Now, with a plea deal behind him, we’re able to piece together exactly what happened, what he was convicted of, and where things stand.

Years of legal battle: 14 ·
Documents published by WikiLeaks: 750,000+ ·
Plea deal year: 2024 ·
Country of citizenship: Australia

Six key facts frame Assange’s legal and personal profile:

What has happened with Julian Assange?

What exactly did Julian Assange do?

The saga began in 2006 when Assange founded WikiLeaks, a platform for publishing classified documents. In 2010, it released the Collateral Murder video and over 250,000 US diplomatic cables (BBC News). Swedish authorities issued a warrant for his questioning on sexual assault allegations, and Assange entered the Ecuadorian embassy in London for asylum in 2012 (NPR). He remained there for seven years until Ecuador withdrew his asylum in April 2019, leading to his arrest by British police (BBC News). The US unsealed an indictment charging him with conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act, starting a five-year extradition battle. In June 2024, Assange reached a plea deal with the US Department of Justice, was released from Belmarsh prison, and returned to Australia (Reuters).

The implication: this resolution capped 14 years of legal limbo without resolving the fundamental disagreement over whether Assange was a journalist or a criminal.

What was Julian Assange convicted of?

What charges were dropped in the plea deal?

Assange pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information under the Espionage Act (Reuters). The sentence was 62 months, credited as time already served in Britain (NPR). As part of the deal, the US dropped charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the remaining Espionage Act counts (UK Crown Prosecution Service). The extradition request from the US was also withdrawn (University of Western Australia).

What this means: the legal case is resolved, but the precedent—that a publisher can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act—remains intact.

What did WikiLeaks expose?

What did Assange reveal?

WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of classified US government documents, reshaping how the public sees wartime conduct and diplomacy (BBC News). The releases included the Collateral Murder video (2010), more than 250,000 diplomatic cables, the Iraq War Logs, the Afghanistan War Logs, and files from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp (CNN). These disclosures revealed civilian casualties, diplomatic backchannels, and abuses that governments had tried to keep hidden.

The pattern: each release deepened Assange’s legal jeopardy, as the US government expanded its interpretation of the Espionage Act to cover the publication of leaked material.

How did Julian Assange get caught?

Who was president when Julian Assange was charged?

Assange was arrested in London on April 11, 2019, hours after Ecuador revoked his asylum (BBC News). The indictment was unsealed later that month under the Trump administration (NPR). He had been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and violating the Espionage Act—charges that legal experts said broke new ground by targeting a publisher (Reuters). After his arrest, he was held in Belmarsh prison while fighting extradition, a process that stretched until the June 2024 plea deal.

The implication: the arrest ended his freedom but not the legal fight; the plea avoided a definitive court ruling on the Espionage Act’s reach.

Where is Julian Assange now?

Who let Julian Assange out?

Assange left Belmarsh prison on June 24, 2024, flying to the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands for a federal court hearing (BBC News). After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to time served and then flew to Australia, arriving on June 26 (CNN). He is now a free man, though the terms of the plea deal bar him from seeking future US security clearance (Reuters). His future plans remain private, but speculation includes potential book deals and media projects.

Why this matters: Assange’s return to Australia closes a chapter that began in a London embassy. For the Australian government, it resolves a diplomatic irritant; for press freedom advocates, the conviction sets a worrying precedent.

Julian Assange timeline

The pattern: each step in the timeline tightened the legal pressure until the plea deal finally broke the cycle.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Key quotes

He is finally free.

Assange’s lawyer, after the plea deal hearing

This plea agreement resolves a long-standing legal matter and brings the case to a close.

US Department of Justice representative

The WikiLeaks publications reshaped journalism and government transparency, revealing truths that many powers preferred to keep hidden.

WikiLeaks editor

What this means for press freedom

For the Australian government, the resolution of Assange’s case ends a diplomatic irritant that had strained relations with the United States. But for press freedom advocates, the precedent set by the Espionage Act conviction remains a chilling signal: publishers who receive and disseminate classified information can face prosecution. For journalists covering national security, the choice is clear: either rely on official channels or risk the legal consequences that Assange endured.

For a detailed account of Julian Assanges plea deal and return, readers can explore the full timeline of his legal journey.

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