WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from a British prison and is headed back to Australia. His wife, Stella Assange, has confirmed that their children are unaware of his release but are excited to be in Australia. Assange is expected to plead guilty to charges under the Espionage Act in the United States.
A British court will issue a verdict on whether to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, 52, to the United States on espionage charges. The ruling, expected on Monday, will culminate 13 years of legal battles and detentions. The U.S. seeks to prosecute him on 18 charges, mostly under the Espionage Act, alleging that his actions with WikiLeaks endangered agents’ lives. Assange’s supporters denounce the charges as an assault on journalism and free speech. If extradited, Assange’s legal avenues in Britain would be exhausted, but his lawyers could pursue an emergency injunction from the European Court of Human Rights. If extradition is denied, he could appeal the case on three grounds.
A federal court filing has revealed that the FBI assigned the code name ‘Plasmic Echo’ to its investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents. The documents, recovered from 12 of 15 boxes returned by Trump in 2024, prompted the FBI’s initial review. Trump is facing 40 charges related to mishandling classified information and obstructing their retrieval. The Espionage Act and obstruction of justice charges are central to the case, with Trump’s defense hinged on the argument that he designated the records as personal under the Presidential Records Act. However, the court has dismissed this claim, paving the way for the prosecution to proceed.
