'Julian's freedom is our freedom': WikiLeaks as Assange walks free after arduous imprisonment of 1,901 days

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday walked out of the UK's Belmarsh maximum security prison after having spent 1,901 days there. His freedom came after he was due to plead guilty this week to violating the US espionage law.

The 52-year-old, who became the face for pro-free speech activism, agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to disclose classified US national defence documents. This, according to WikiLeaks, led to a deal that ended his improvement in Britain and allowed him to return home to Australia. 

"Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning on 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK," WikiLeaks said in a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter). 

Going ahead, WikiLeaks thanked its supporters globally. The post said that Assange's freedom came as a result of a "global campaign" that included people from grass-roots organisers to leaders from across the political spectrum and even the United Nations. 

"This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible," the post further read. 

Julian Assange's life inside prison

WikiLeaks also gave a poignant reminder of Julian Assange's life in prison. "After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars," the post by WikiLeaks said. 

It also said that the non-profit media organisation carried "groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses." It added that these leaks held the powerful accountable for their actions. 

In 2010, the non-profit released thousands of classified US military documents during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This was considered as the largest security breach in US military history.

It included a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people. The documents leaked by WikiLeaks also included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts. 

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

"As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom," the post said towards the end.