Julian Assange says he “pled guilty to journalism” in first public remarks since release from prison

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gave his first in-person public remarks this morning since his release from prison, speaking at a hearing organized by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Assange talked about his incarceration, US intelligence, his conviction earlier this year, risks to journalists, and what he sees are implications from his case for press freedoms worldwide

During his remarks, he stated “I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism”

The appearance comes just over 3 months since Assange reached a plea deal with the United States, agreeing to plea guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information. As part of the deal, the DOJ sought a sentence of 62 months, the amount of time Assange spent in British prison, where he had been held during a yearslong legal fight against extradition to the US. Following acceptance of the plea by a judge in the US territory of Saipan, Assange was able to leave court and travel to his native Australia without any additional jail time

Assange’s remarks at the hearing come before a full plenary debate of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on a resolution regarding Assange’s conviction

A draft of the resolution includes calls for the United States to reform the Espionage Act, cooperate with Spanish judicial authorities “to clarify all facts of the alleged unlawful surveillance of Mr Assange and his interlocutors in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London”, and to “conduct thorough, impartial, and transparent investigations into alleged war crimes and human rights violations disclosed by WikiLeaks and Mr Assange”

Additionally, the draft resolution includes calls for the United Kingdom to review its extradition laws to prevent the possibility of extraditing individuals wanted for offenses of political nature, and to conduct an independent review of Assange’s treatment by authorities to establish whether he’s been exposed to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment