Julian Assange Walks Free After Reaching Plea Deal in US Court Over Leaking Military Secrets

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-69145409

It's currently just past 12:30 in Singapore, 05:30 in London and 14:30 in Canberra - where Assange is expected to land later this afternoon. If you're just joining us now, here's what you need to know:

• As part of a plea deal reached with the US, the Wikileaks founder pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching the Espionage Act in relation to his role in leaking thousands of classified documents.
• In return, he was sentenced by Judge Ramona Manglona to time served due to his time spent at London's Belmarsh prison and allowed to walk free
• The plea was part of a deal struck with the US and ends a years-long battle by Assange against extradition to the US to face 18 felony charges
• One of Assange's lawyers say that Wikileaks's work will continue and that Assange "will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government"
• Assange is due to arrive in the Australian capital Canberra at around 18:41 local time (08:41 GMT)

A former CIA chief of staff, Larry Pfeiffer, has been talking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, saying he believes the plea deal is "fair" and "not unusual".

He theorised that the US likely came to the negotiating table to protect intelligence sources and methods from being revealed in court, and because the case was causing "diplomatic irritants" in its relationships with Australia and the UK.

Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy Prime Minister of Australia who lobbied in Washington for Assange, told the BBC's Newsday earlier this morning that he believes the extraterritorial aspect of Assange's case is worrying.

"He was not a citizen of the United States, nor was he ever in the United States. So we've sent a person to prison in a third country," said Joyce.

"I don't believe what he did was right. I'm not here to give a warrant to his character. But I do say is what he did in Australia was not illegal... There is no law he broke in Australia."

He also criticised the treatment the Wikileaks founder received while at Belmarsh prison.

"One day we'll look back at this case and everyone will wonder: honestly, who did he murder to be in solitary confinement 23 hours a day? What was the charge that inspired that?" Joyce said.

Touchdown! Free at last' Wikileaks has just posted [a] picture as the plane touched down, saying Assange was "free at last".

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