Julian Assange has left Britain after agreeing a US plea deal under which he will plead guilty to a criminal charge and walk free.
The WikiLeaks founder was granted bail by the High Court and released from Belmarsh prison on Monday after negotiations with US authorities.
Court documents filed by the U.S. Department of Justice show that Assange will appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information.
It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the western Pacific Ocean.
A chartered plane with Assange on board left Stansted Airport on Monday before landing at an airport in Bangkok to refuel around noon local time (6am BST) on Tuesday.
His wife Stella Assange told the PA news agency that he will pay $500,000 for the flight to Australia.
His father John Shipton said his freedom had lifted "an enormous burden" from his family.
In a statement on
The statement continued: "He was granted bail at the High Court in London and released during the afternoon at Stansted Airport, where he boarded a plane and left Britain.
"This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organizers, press freedom activists, lawmakers and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations.
"This created the space for a lengthy period of negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice, which led to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized."
A video posted by WikiLeaks to
He is then shown walking up the stairs to a Vista Jet aircraft.
Speaking about Assange's release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the country's parliament on Tuesday: "we want him brought home to Australia".
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE
Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, after spending 1,901 days there. He was granted bail at the High Court in London and was released during the afternoon at Stansted Airport, where he boarded a ...
- WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024
He said: "I have said very clearly as Labor Leader and Opposition, but also as Prime Minister, that - regardless of people's views on Mr Assange's activities - the matter has dragged on for too long.
"There is nothing to be gained from his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia."
Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces "have advanced and advocated for Australian interests using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome", which he took on early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022.
He added: "I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will happen very soon, and I will report back at that time if necessary."
The WikiLeaks statement also thanked "all those who supported us, fought for us and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom."
It said: "After more than five years in a 2×3 meter 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.
"WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories on government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid heavily for these principles and for the people's right to know.
"As he returns to Australia, we thank everyone who supported us, fought for us and was fully committed to the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom."
In a separate post on X, Ms Assange said: "Julian is free!!!!
"Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilized for years to make this happen. THANK YOU. Thank you. THANK YOU."
She later posted a photo of herself speaking to Assange on the phone from the front of the Sydney Opera House.
"Julian called Sydney last night (during the day) from Stansted Airport," she wrote.
Assange's mother, Christine Assange, told Australia's Sky News that she is "grateful" that her son's ordeal is "finally coming to an end."
She said: "This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those invisible, hardworking people who put Julian's well-being first.
"The past fourteen years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I would like to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy."
Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray said Assange's family are "delighted" at his release, telling Sky News: "It has been very taxing. It's no secret that he spent so many years in a maximum security prison.
"Why on earth is someone who is a journalist and who has never harmed anyone in his life being locked up in a prison with Britain's worst terrorists... it's very difficult for anyone to justify this."
His father said recent court hearings in Britain gave him hope that the "tide was turning" in his son's favor, and pressure from the Australian government was increasing.
He said he hoped his son would spend time "walking the beaches and listening to birds" in the coming weeks and months.
"I felt like there was something changing in the court's attitude over the last few hearings, especially with the concerns raised by the justices," Shipton said.
"I never gave up hope, never sank into despair that this day would come. I'm absolutely elated - it's like a huge burden has been lifted."
Assange was embroiled in a protracted legal battle in Britain over his extradition, entering the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 and living there before being imprisoned in Belmarsh Prison.
In a January 2021 ruling, then-District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and "oppressive" risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues.
Later that year, US authorities won a Supreme Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way for Assange's extradition.
Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July, having recently been given the green light to challenge the original judge's dismissal of parts of his case.
Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years and is waging a protracted legal battle against extradition to the United States.
In a court order released on Tuesday, Dame Victoria Sharp and Justice Johnson said Assange left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after a settlement agreement was signed on June 19.
The judges added that "it is expected that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, after which the United States has agreed to withdraw the extradition request."
They also said Assange's lawyers and US authorities should provide an agreed document regarding the ongoing extradition appeals by Friday afternoon.
The Crown Prosecution Service said a bail hearing for Assange was held behind closed doors last Thursday.
Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: "Thirteen and a half years and two extradition requests after he was first arrested, Julian Assange left the UK yesterday, following a bail hearing last Thursday, which concluded at his request circle was held.
"I am proud of the way our extradition unit handled this case. They acted with expertise and skill, under international supervision, in providing legal advice to both the Swedish and US authorities.
"This case has consumed significant time and resources of the criminal justice system over many years. The intended outcome of the plea agreement will be to achieve the primary goal of delivering justice. It will also save the continued substantial expenditure associated with further litigating this matter in England."
John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: "This has been a very complex case with Swedish and US authorities advised and represented. During this period, the CPS extradition unit has faced new and challenging legal issues. Mr. Assange has also taken advantage of every legal protection available to him.
"This has resulted in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely."