Julian Assange's plea deal and his return to Australia

Gone quiet · last story Oct 1, 2024

What this arc covers

The end of the US case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: Biden's consideration of Australia's request to drop it, a British court's ruling letting him appeal extradition, his June 2024 plea deal and release, his return to Australia, and his first public remarks, in which he said he pleaded guilty to journalism.

Earliest story we hold Feb 19, 2024 · 13 stories · 132 independent sources (counted once each) · 225 days

Part ofJulian AssangeWikiLeaksUnited KingdomAustraliaLondonJoe BidenBangkok

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Oct 12024WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to make first public statement since his release from prison - The Daily Reporter6 articles · 5 independent sources
0 left, 1 center, 1 right
Oct 12024WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ in order to be freed19 articles · 17 independent sources
1 left, 4 center, 3 right
Jun 252024WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stops in Bangkok on his way to a US court and later freedom21 articles · 16 independent sources
2 left, 3 center, 0 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Feb 20 – 21, 2024WikiLeaks’ Assange faces wait to find out whether he can challenge extradition to the U.S.52 articles · 34 independent sources
    1. Feb 20, 2024WikiLeaks founder Assange starts final legal battle to avoid extradition to U.S.
    2. Feb 21, 2024Lawyers for the US will tell a UK court why WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange should face spying charges
  2. Mar 25 – 26, 2024UK court orders to delay extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to US on espionage charges72 articles · 47 independent sources
  3. May 19 – 20, 2024WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal US extradition order: UK court80 articles · 52 independent sources
  4. Jun 24 – 26, 2024WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga175 articles · 78 independent sources
  5. Jun 25 – 26, 2024WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after US legal battle ends81 articles · 55 independent sources
    1. Jun 25, 2024WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange enters into a plea deal with the U.S. government
    2. Jun 26, 2024WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after U.S. legal battle ends

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Feb 19Apr 1May 20Jul 1Aug 19Sep 30

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Feb 19, 2024922387
Mar 25, 2024716665
Apr 8, 202486334
May 13, 20241002
May 20, 2024917671
Jun 24, 2024273821264
Sep 30, 202415421

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

30% left · 52% center · 18% right of 132 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 13 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. February 2024

    Feb 19WikiLeaks founder Assange may be near the end of his long fight to stay out of the US12 articles · 7 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 0 right
  2. Feb 19– 21Julian Assange makes last-ditch attempt in UK court to avoid extradition to US30 articles · 19 independent sources
    0 left, 12 center, 1 right
  3. Feb 20– 21WikiLeaks’ Assange faces wait to find out whether he can challenge extradition to the U.S.52 articles · 34 independent sources
    8 left, 11 center, 2 right

  4. March 2024

    Mar 25– 26UK court orders to delay extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to US on espionage charges72 articles · 47 independent sources
    7 left, 16 center, 6 right

  5. April 2024

    Apr 10– 11Biden says he’s considering Australia’s request to drop prosecution of Wikileaks founder Assange31 articles · 26 independent sources
    8 left, 5 center, 2 right
  6. Apr 11Wife of Julian Assange says Biden's comments mean case could be moving in the right direction6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 2 right

  7. May 2024

    May 19– 20WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal US extradition order: UK court80 articles · 52 independent sources
    9 left, 17 center, 6 right

  8. June 2024

    Jun 24– 25Julian Assange expected to plead guilty, avoid further prison time as part of deal with US15 articles · 8 independent sources
    0 left, 5 center, 2 right
  9. Jun 24– 26WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending years-long legal saga175 articles · 78 independent sources
    18 left, 27 center, 10 right
  10. Jun 25WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stops in Bangkok on his way to a US court and later freedom21 articles · 16 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 0 right
  11. Jun 25– 26WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia a free man after US legal battle ends81 articles · 55 independent sources
    10 left, 17 center, 10 right

  12. October 2024

  13. Oct 1WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ in order to be freed19 articles · 17 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 3 right