Julian Assange live news: WikiLeaks founder heads to Australia a free man as justice department says he is barred from returning to US

Hearing brings to an end a legal battle spanning more than a decade. Follow the news and watch the live streamFull report: Julian Assange pleads guilty at court hearing in SaipanFrom a plea deal to a 2am prison call: how Julian Assange finally gained freedomThe Guardian view on the WikiLeaks plea deal: good for Julian Assange, not journalismHere is a video of the moment Julian Assange arrived at court in Saipan alongside Australia’s ambassador to the US and former prime minister, Kevin Rudd:On former US vice-president Mike Pence’s views that Julian Assange should be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law”, Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles said:I don’t think it serves to go over Mr Assange’s actions many, many years ago, other than to observe that since then, Mr Assange has been incarcerated for many, many years.And that’s really the point that we are making here. Continue reading...

Julian Assange live news: WikiLeaks founder heads to Australia a free man as justice department says he is barred from returning to US

Hearing brings to an end a legal battle spanning more than a decade. Follow the news and watch the live stream

Here is a video of the moment Julian Assange arrived at court in Saipan alongside Australia’s ambassador to the US and former prime minister, Kevin Rudd:

On former US vice-president Mike Pence’s views that Julian Assange should be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law”, Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles said:

I don’t think it serves to go over Mr Assange’s actions many, many years ago, other than to observe that since then, Mr Assange has been incarcerated for many, many years.

And that’s really the point that we are making here. Continue reading...