Julian Assange to Plead Guilty to U.S. Espionage Charge, Set to Return to Australia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty to a single count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. defense documents, as per filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. This plea is part of a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow his return to Australia, concluding a prolonged legal battle. Assange, 52, has been a central figure in numerous controversies involving the release of classified materials.