5 mo. ago • 95%

‘Julian Assange is free’: Wikileaks founder freed in deal with US

www.aljazeera.com Wikileaks founder Julian Assange released from prison after US plea deal

Assange to plead guilty to one charge of espionage and return home to Australia after decades fighting US extradition.

World News @lemmy.ml ‘Julian Assange is free’: Wikileaks founder freed in deal with US

65 comments

Freed in exchange for a guilty plea in a plea deal

64
- And time served. Guilty but free.
  
  49
  
  One of the most up voted comments on another thread about this was in effect "Assange has been cleared." No, he pleaded guilty and served five years in prison, it's just that he already served that time since he was never released pending trial.
  
  69
- No justice. 👎 Boo, hiss.
  
  9
- He never denied his guilt. Just disagreed with it.
  
  0
- Dude was locked up for longer than we would have had him in prison. Time served was the right choice and reinforces that we're not the country assange wants to paint us as.
  
  -2
Making sure he pleads guilty to something that isn't a crime equals America not having freedom of speech.

42
- With everything that’s going on in the world, I feel like “freedom of speech” doesn’t exist. It’s just a “buzz”.
  
  Just to name a few things;
  
  You want to criticize Israel? Antisemitism!
  
  You want to criticize US-related Israel things? Antisemitism!
  
  You want to provide evidence of crimes? That’s a ‘crime’!
  
  You are against killing innocent people? Antisemitism!
  
  You want to protest? You disrupt the order and therefore a crime!
  
  Perhaps it is just me being pessimistic.
  
  25
  
  Perhaps it is just me being ~~pessimistic~~ antisemitic.
  
  FIFY!
  
  /S
  
  8
  
  Permanently Deleted
  
  7
  
  You've just misunderstood what freedom of speech is. The government won't jail you for your opinions. You can say whatever you want that isn't a threat or call to violence.
  
  Let's be real though. That's why people get to call you names when they disagree with you. They also have that same protected speech.
  
  Protesting is a thing you are doing while exercising your free speech. However, you can be doing 2 things at once. Exercising your free speech while committing the crime of trespassing, etc. That one right doesn't make you legally immune to anything else you're doing.
  
  Of course, people commit crimes while protesting to give their protest some teeth, and in some cases to bring attention to the law they might be protesting. But you should be prepared to be fined and arrested during spicy protests. People sitting in the road acting shocked they get hit and dragged away just make me feel like I'm looking at too many shocked Pikachus. You should expect it. That's why you are there. If you didn't face violence you aren't really showing how strongly you feel. That's what it means to stand against opposition.
  
  2
  
  Permanently Deleted
  
  1
  
  Don't make me break out my argument about how the bill of rights is a dead letter. Every single one, including the third.
  
  1
  
  Nah just you misunderstanding positions and arguments you've overheard.
  
  -1
- Espionage is 100% a crime. You may disagree with it being a crime but it's illegal in every country.
  
  15
  
  Revealing Chinese war crimes is also a crime in China.
  
  If China forcefully extradites an American journalists because the journalist leaks secret Chinese state documents of Uyghur concentration camps... would you be defending China because the journalist did something "illegal"?
  
  -4
- Worse, it validates the precedent that non-U.S.-citizens can be prosecuted for breaking U.S. law over things they did outside of the U.S.
  
  Really happy that Assange gets to go home, since he's suffered enough personally, but I really don't like the precedent that I can be prosecuted in, say, Israel under Israeli law for things that I did in Wisconsin (e.g. boycotting).
  
  14
  
  Don't solicit Israeli soldiers to become assets and give you classified information you will then edit to make Israel look as bad as possible?
  
  He acted as a spy in every way.
  
  1
  
  That precedent doesn't need validation. It's ancient. It's international law. Don't fuck around and then run off to an ally.
  
  -8
- Permanently Deleted
  
  7
  
  No it was more than that, he actively helped Chelsea hack into files she didn't have access to. He literally hacked into classified databases of the US military. Much worse than leaking info.
  
  4
- He was not in trouble for leaking information. He literally helped Chelsea hack into classified files she didn't have access to, he actively participated in breaching security inside the US military. Very illegal no matter where you stand.
  
  2
  
  This is just blatantly false. Repeating government propaganda doesn't make it true. He did not hack the military he told someone what a VPN is.
  
  5
Cool, now do Snowden

23
Where is he?

7
- Right behind you!
  
  17
- Aus.
  
  3
  
  Need a public statement for sure but yea
  
  1
fast forward a few years

"Assange is in critical condition after [near fatal car accident in bumfuck nowhere, mysteriously poisoned, ran off the road, etc.]. Although the incident seems quite suspicious, authorities have already ruled out assassination. If you question this, we will find you."

3
Too bad his sexual misconduct was never explored

-8
- Wow to the people downvoting you need to rethink your definition of informed consent. Julian Assange is a repellent sociopath to anyone with two eyes and an open mind.
  
  6
- Unfortunately, he managed to escape trial until the statute of limitations ran out. But of course, some will defend him as a completely holsum rapist who was framed by the CIA, because you can't believe those lying Swedish women, especially when the accused flees the country known for its humane justice system as soon as he hears he's charged.
  
  Or something bizarre along those lines.
  
  5

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