LIVE Julian Assange LATEST: Wikileaks to give press conference in Australia after founder strikes plea deal to return to homeland as a 'free man' despite admitting espionage charge in US-controlled court By Jamie Bullen Published: 04:01 EDT, 26 June 2024 | Updated: 04:50 EDT, 26 June 2024 e-mail 6 View comments Advertisement Julian Assange today returns to Australia as a 'free man' despite being convicted of espionage after agreeing a plea deal to bring the curtain down on his 14 year legal saga. Mr Assange had been wanted by US authorities following the disclosure of thousands of classified military documents in 2010 and spent more than five years in a British high-security prison after seven years holed up at the Ecuadorean embassy in London . The WikiLeaks founder was released without probation or supervision from a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan with a criminal conviction for espionage which has now been banned from entering America .
He flew by private jet to Canberra, the Australian capital, where he is expected to land around 7.30pm local time (9.30am UK time).
Wikileaks have scheduled a press conference at a hotel in the city at 9.15pm (12.15pm).
Follow MailOnline's live coverage of the press conference below 08:46 Assange's brother to launch campaign for pardon Julian Assange's brother has said he will campaign for the WikiLeaks founder to be pardoned after he was convicted of espionage in a US court. The conviction means Mr Assange is banned from e.