the hearing has been ongoing in the mariana islands. thejudge says julian assange the mariana islands. thejudge sastulian assange will walk away a free man that s the information coming in from the remote us territory. the wikileaks founder has been fighting extradition to the us on espionage charges for over a decade now. let s take a look at the key dates that have brought us to this point. the wikileaks cofounder has been fighting extradition to the us on espionage charges for over a decade. let s look at the key dates that have brought us here. in 2010, julian assange was part of a flood of classified military files and diplomatic cables spilled by wikileaks that year. months later, an international arrest warrant was issued. sweden wanted to question him about sexual assault allegations made by two women. to avoid extradition, he sought refuge in ecuador s london embassy. he d spend seven years there. but in 2019 in a dramatic moment he was dragged out of the embas
mariana islands and gave us this update earlier. they said he will be landing in australia wants to hearing wraps up. his plan is committed to depart inside three hours time, that he would land around 6:1i1pm australian eastern time. that is later today. our correspondent shaimaa khalil was at the northern mariana islands and gave us this update earlier. julian assange is in the us district court house behind me where the final steps of the legal proceedings for his guilty plea are under way, his pleading guilty for one felony thatis pleading guilty for one felony that is illegally obtaining and disclosing classified national security material, no for him because as for the deal that was agreed the usjustice department, he will get credit for time served in the uk. he is here because crucially, this is here because crucially, this is continental usa, julian assange refused to go to mainland us because he deeply distrust the us government. in the past, he accused him of plotti
airfield after court proceedings wrapped up. is expected to head to canberra and australia, these islands relatively close to australia another reason it is believed this territory was selected but there you see the plane heading off carrying julian assange back to australia as we heard he is a free man and to depart to australia without those us extradition charges anymore. let s hear from extradition charges anymore. let s hearfrom his longest serving lawyer who was speaking right after court ended. right after court ended. today is an historic right after court ended. today is an historic day. right after court ended. today is an historic day. he - right after court ended. today is an historic day. he has - is an historic day. he has served a 14 year old legal battle and after 14 years of legal battles he can go home a free man. this brings to an end a case which has been seen as the greatest threat to the first amendment in the 21st century. first amendment in the 21
after spending the majority of the last decade behind bars or inside the ecuadorian embassy in london. speaking outside the court, julian assange s lawyer, barry pollock, said the prosecution of the wikileaks founder was unprecedented . in the hundred years of the espionage act, it has never been used by the united states to pursue a publisher, a journalist like mr assange. mr assange revealed truthful, important and newsworthy information including revealing the united states had committed war crimes and he has suffered tremendously in his fight for free speech, for freedom tremendously in his fight for free speech, forfreedom of tremendously in his fight for free speech, for freedom of the press, and to make sure the american public and the world community gets truthful and important newsworthy information. we firmly believe that mr assange never should have been charged under the espionage act and engaged in exercise that journalists engage in every day and we are thankfu