Forbes

‘I Pled Guilty To Journalism’: Julian Assange’s First Public Address Since Release From Prison

Consortium News

Assange: ‘I’m Free Because I Pled Guilty to Journalism’

WATCH: Assange’s Testimony in Strasbourg — LIVE!

Time

Assange Says He Pled 'Guilty to Journalism' to Be Freed

Guardian

Julian Assange says he ‘chose freedom over unrealisable justice’

Canary

Julian Assange just revealed exactly WHAT he said in his plea bargain

Associated Press

WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange to make first public statement since his release from prison

Democracy Now

“I Pled Guilty to Journalism”: WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Speaks Publicly for First Time Since Prison Release

‘I’m free because I pled guilty to journalism’ – Assange

Independent

Julian Assange makes first public statement since being freed: ‘I pled guilty to journalism’

Newsweek

Julian Assange Condemns the 'System' in First Public Remarks Since Release

“I Chose Freedom Over Justice”: Julian Assange Addresses Public for First Time Since Prison Release

New York Post

Julian Assange tells European lawmakers he ‘chose freedom over an unrealizable justice’ in first public comments since release from prison

Breitbart

Julian Assange Says He Pleaded 'Guilty to Journalism' to Be Freed

Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ to secure his freedom in first public remarks since leaving prison

Raw Story

'I pleaded guilty to journalism,' Wikileaks' Assange

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday made his first public comments since being released from a British prison earlier in the year.

York Press

The 53-year-old journalist had been incarcerated for five years as he and his legal team fought extradition to the US where he was wanted on 17 Espionage Act charges for government documents he and his organization published in 2010.

Ultimately, he was released in June after reaching a plea agreement with the US Justice Department in which he pled guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act for conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, allowing him to go free for time served in the UK.

Doughty Street Chambers

Speaking to the legal affairs and human rights committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, France, Assange said: "I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism."

"I pled guilty to seeking information from a source," he added. "I pled guilty to obtaining information from a source, and I pled guilty to informing the public what that information was. I did not plead guilty to anything else."

The remarks came as PACE published a report and statement that criticized "the disproportionately harsh treatment" he faced, stating that it had a chilling effect on journalism and that it created "a perception that the US government's purpose in prosecuting Assange was to hide the wrongdoing of state agents rather than to protect national security."

PACE

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Assange Makes First Public Comments Since Release

Assange's publications revealed war crimes, torture and human rights abuses. Rather than pursue the perpetrators of these crimes, the US went after the whistleblower and journalist, having a chilling effect on journalism and creating a perception that the US is more interested in covering up wrongdoing than seeking justice.

Committee expresses deep concern at harsh treatment of Julian Assange

By indiscriminately publishing classified US documents that included unredacted names of government sources, Assange put hundreds of people's lives at risk. His action went way beyond traditional journalism and it was right that he faced the charges that he did.

PBS News

Assange went beyond journalism and should face espionage charges in the US

Frederick Florin/AFP/Contributor via Getty Images

Assange Makes First Public Comments Since Release

Assange Makes First Public Comments Since Release

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Assange Makes First Public Comments Since Release

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