Julian Assange’s Struggle for Freedom in a World of Secrets

Julian Assange’s first public appearance after his release from prison in June 2024 marked a significant moment in the saga of the WikiLeaks founder, whose activities have sparked international debate over journalism, press freedom, and state secrets. On October 1, 2024, Assange addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, providing a reflective, emotional account of his journey through detention and his difficult decision to accept a plea deal.

He revealed the personal and philosophical struggles that led him to choose what he described as “freedom over unrealizable justice.”

A Decade of Confinement and Legal Battles

Assange’s story has been one of the most contentious legal and political dramas of the 21st century. His work as the founder of WikiLeaks, where he published classified information from governments, especially U.S. military and diplomatic secrets, propelled him to international notoriety. Among the most high-profile revelations were the Iraq and Afghanistan war logs, exposing details of U.S. military operations, including a notorious 2007 video showing an Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.

These leaks led to both widespread support from press freedom advocates and significant condemnation from governments around the world. The U.S. government accused Assange of endangering lives, especially informants and sources involved in military operations, and launched a legal campaign to bring him to justice under the Espionage Act.

In 2012, facing extradition to Sweden on unrelated charges (which were later dropped), Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. For seven years, he lived in a small, confined space, unable to leave the building without being arrested by British authorities. This self-imposed exile ended in 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum, and Assange was arrested by British police. He was then held in Belmarsh Prison, a high-security facility in London, where he spent five years fighting extradition to the United States.

Assange’s Plea Deal: Choosing Freedom

In June 2024, after more than a decade in confinement, Assange agreed to a plea deal with the U.S. government that finally granted him his freedom. He was sentenced to 62 weeks in prison, which was equivalent to the time he had already served. The deal marked the conclusion of a yearslong battle between Assange and the U.S. government, which had sought to prosecute him for conspiring to obtain and disclose classified information.

In his speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Assange expressed that this decision was not a victory for justice but a pragmatic choice for survival. He described the situation as one in which true justice was “unrealizable” due to the powerful forces arrayed against him. Assange revealed that he ultimately pled guilty to activities that he believes form the core of journalism: seeking, obtaining, and publishing information of public interest. His plea deal required him to admit guilt in actions he sees as fundamental to press freedom, making him the first journalist convicted under the U.S. Espionage Act.

“I am not free today because the system worked,” Assange said during his address. “I am free today because I pled guilty to journalism.” He added, “I pled guilty to seeking information from a source. I pled guilty to obtaining information from a source. And I pled guilty to informing the public what that information was.” For Assange, the plea deal was the only path to freedom, even if it meant sacrificing his ability to pursue justice fully for what he sees as wrongful prosecution.

The Impact of Incarceration: Physical and Mental Toll

During his address, Assange reflected on the intense toll that years of confinement took on his physical and mental health. He spoke of the profound isolation he experienced in Belmarsh Prison, where he was held in a maximum-security wing typically reserved for the most dangerous criminals. The isolation, he said, stripped away his sense of self, leaving him to grapple with the raw essence of existence.

“I am not yet fully equipped to speak about what I have endured — the relentless struggle to stay alive, both physically and mentally,” Assange said, his voice breaking as he detailed his hardships. The struggle for survival was not only physical but psychological, as he navigated years of uncertainty and threats to his well-being while under intense global scrutiny.

Stella Assange, Julian’s wife, who had been a staunch advocate for his release, spoke to reporters at the event. She acknowledged that her husband was still recovering and remained exhausted from his ordeal. Assange, who returned to Australia after his release, has been living with Stella and their two sons as he rebuilds his life. According to Stella, Assange’s priority now is to regain his strength, with no immediate plans for his future public or journalistic endeavors. She stressed that his primary focus is on his continued recovery.

Implications for Press Freedom

The outcome of Assange’s case has far-reaching implications for journalism and press freedom around the world. His conviction under the Espionage Act, based on his activities as a publisher of leaked documents, raised alarms among journalists and civil liberties groups. Many fear that the prosecution of Assange sets a dangerous precedent, one that could be used to criminalize investigative journalism and whistleblowing in the future.

Assange’s supporters, including human rights organizations and press freedom advocates, have long argued that his work with WikiLeaks exposed critical information in the public interest, shedding light on government wrongdoing, including potential war crimes. They view his conviction as a threat to the fundamental role of the press in holding power to account.

At the Parliamentary Assembly, Kristinn Hrafnsson, the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, echoed these concerns. He warned that the plea deal, while securing Assange’s freedom, had introduced a dangerous precedent that could have chilling effects on journalism worldwide. “You need to take away that dagger,” Hrafnsson said, referring to the Espionage Act prosecution. “It has now been bloodied once. And if there is no reaction and no political desire to take that weapon out of any politician’s hand, it will be used again.”

Assange himself underscored this sentiment, stating that the deal, while allowing him to escape incarceration, had foreclosed his ability to seek legal redress for his detention or hold those responsible for his treatment accountable. He and his legal team have since launched a campaign for a U.S. presidential pardon to further protect him and others from similar prosecutions in the future.

A Complex Legacy

Assange’s legacy is a deeply divisive one. To his supporters, he remains a champion of transparency and free speech, a whistleblower who exposed government secrets that needed to be brought to light. To his detractors, Assange is a reckless provocateur who endangered lives by releasing sensitive information without regard for the consequences.

Whatever one’s opinion of Assange, his case has profoundly influenced the global discourse on the role of journalism in the digital age, especially in relation to national security. It has raised important questions about the balance between state secrecy and the public’s right to know, as well as the limits of press freedom in an era of increasing government surveillance and control over information.

For now, Assange‘s focus remains on his recovery and spending time with his family. Yet, the broader implications of his case will likely continue to resonate in discussions about media freedoms, whistleblowing, and government accountability for years to come.