Glenn Greenwald: Julian Assange is Free at Last, But at What Cost?

Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, is finally free after what Glenn Greenwald calls "almost 15 years in various forms of detention."

A plea deal with the Biden administration allows Assange to avoid U.S. imprisonment, with prosecutors seeking "a 62-month sentence, which is equal to the amount of time Assange has already served."

Greenwald sees this development as a personal triumph for Assange but also a stark reminder that the U.S. government's goal was "to crush Julian Assange, physically and mentally."

WikiLeaks celebrated Assange's release, stating he "left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24" and boarded a plane to depart the U.K.

The organization views this as a result of "a global campaign that spanned grassroots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators, and leaders from across the political spectrum."

As Greenwald notes, Assange was "a pioneer and a prophet" in the digital age, but his case raises unsettling questions about the future of whistleblowing and government accountability.