By Jeff Mackler
Thanks to all the activists across the country and around the world who made this possible. Below are some snippets from Julian’s friends who describe some of the details of his release. More later.
A detained report is in preparation. Julian’s plea bargain agreement of guilt on one felony charge sets no precedent for future litigation in related matters. (See below).
That he is free almost immediately to return to his family in Australia is a result of everyone’s sustained efforts. Today is a joyous day that will be long remembered by all social justice fighters.
In Solidarity,
Jeff Mackler, Socialist Action, National Secretary
On Monday, June 24, 2024 at 05:43:41 PM PDT, Vincent De Stefano <vdestefano54@gmail.com> wrote:
There will be time to parse this decision in the future. However, right now Joy is the order of the day. This morning Julian walked out of Belmarsh and boarded a plane which will lead him back to his family. He will feel the sun on his skin for the first time in eleven years. He will finally be able to wrap his arms around Stella and the boys. He will be a Free Man and that is something we should all celebrate because it was our collective actions and collective efforts that this has happened
Vinnie De Stefano, National Organizing Director, Assange Defense, 580 N. Sierra Madre Blvd.Pasadena, CA. 91107 vinnie@assangedefense.org, assangedefense.org
On Monday, Jun 24, 2024, at 17:55, Chip Gibbons <chip@rightsanddissent.org> wrote:
It is great news that Julian is walking free. While it is not great the US government didn’t drop the Espionage Act case, a plea deal sets no binding legal precedent. If Julian had gone to trial and lost, and appeal, and lost such a precedent would have been set.
Julian will know freedom for the first time in what is I think 14 years and any publisher/journalist charged under the Espionage Act in the future could still contest the constitutionality of the charge. Although I am not certain the US government is eager for a repeat of this.
My ideal scenario is the charges were completely dropped and Julian was given a medal, it seemed likely that a case like this a plea deal was always going to be one of the better outcomes.
“He is expected to plead guilty and be sentenced on Wednesday in the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a letter filed by the Justice Department in the remote U.S. jurisdiction Monday evening. He will then return to his home country of Australia, the letter says, indicating he will be sentenced to the 62 months he has already spent behind bars.” Chip Gibbons, Policy Director, Defending Rights & Dissent, formerly Bill of Rights Defense Committee and Defending Dissent Foundation , 1325 G St. NW Suite 557, Washington, DC 20005, www.rightsanddissent.org
