#Assange is preparing to plead #guilty to a single count of conspiring to obtain & disclose info related to the #NationalDefense in a US federal court in Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands …this wk, acc/to newly filed court papers.
@Nonilex While I'm happy Assange will be free (not considering, for the moment, points of criticism against him), I'm worried this act may set a precedent for prosecution of journalists.
“Possessing or accessing” material related to the “national defense” is something that mainstream journalists do on a daily basis. 😞
@Nonilex regardless of my opinion of Assange, I've always wondered how the USG can prosecute a non-citizen under US laws, when that non-citizen wasn't even on US territory. How can the USG do that? Is there a treaty involved? Wouldn't that mean other countries can prosecute Americans for breaking their laws?
Under the terms of the agreement, #Assange faces a sentence of 62 months, equivalent to the time he has already served at Belmarsh Prison in the UK while fighting extradition to the #UnitedStates. He is expected to be released & to return to his home country of #Australia following the court proceeding.