Julian Assange en route to US Pacific island after accepting US plea deal – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. You can read more about Julian Assange's release from prison here:

• Assange released from prison after striking deal with US
• Explainer: what are the details of the plea deal?
• Analysis: not a clear victory for freedom of the press

The plea agreement comes months after the US president, Joe Biden, said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the US push to prosecute Assange.

Assange was indicted during the former president Donald Trump's administration over WikiLeaks' mass release of secret US documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act.