The deal is for a 5 year sentence though "Assange will spend no time in US custody and will receive credit for the time spent in prison in the UK"
it's not official until he goes to US territory to sign the deal. Here's hoping the US keep their word and don't kidnap him from there...
"Only after he signs a deal with an American judge in the US jurisdiction of the Northern Mariana Islands will Mr Assange be a "free man", she said.
Under the deal, he will plead guilty to a single charge - conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information - and will not serve any additional time in custody, after spending five years in a British prison.
According to Mrs Assange, this deal will be signed "sometime tomorrow".
An order from the High Court was signed on 19 June, granting Mr Assange conditional bail to allow him to travel to sign the plea deal."
It seem so fake. Assange is being held without charge at the request of the US. How would he plead guilty when he hasn’t been charged.
Do we think that Assange would appear jokey and overweight in clearly staged images when he wasn’t well enough to appear at his extradition hearing? Wouldn’t he be celebrating with his wife?
If he has to go to the US to sign how does he trust he won’t be arrested.
It's being presented as a plea deal: plead guilty to 1 charge, serve 5 years, released on Wednesday. He won't get those 5 years (and the rest) back anyway and perhaps it's a way for the US to save face and claim they got their man...
He isn't being sent to the US mainland to sign the deal with the judge so seems like a compromise: US territory but not one of the states. At least it's not Guantanamo...
I'm reluctanct to trust the Americans but given how much publicity there is on what's been agreed, then it would look incredibly bad if they disappeared him from the North Mariana Islands. Hope he's not flying on a Boeing.
I've seen more than a few of these crossing the street, eyes glued to the phone screen, oblivious to the traffic, oblivious to the sounds and sights and smells around them. Walking and staring dead-eyed like the walking dead.
"There are still leviathans" thank you. donated because you are the most critical part of my daily health and wellness and inspiration to keep on going and connecting.
Very good. I would like to add this to my read aloud list for my podcast, Crann na beatha Stories and Poetry on July 12th. I am running out of material from Medium writers and now seeking stories and poetry from Substack writers.
"Vincent" is such a beautiful song by Don MacLean. It was played at a recent memorial service for a friend who was an artist who felt so much...and couldn't handle all he felt. RIP Dion.
Off topic, but great news! Assange is finally going home.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/us/politics/assange-plea.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2U0.xsFJ.etBRwfClFzvQ&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
YEAH!!! Still wrapping my mind and guts around it. Big feels.
Yep! https://www.rt.com/news/599914-assange-expected-plea-deal/
Now let's see what Aussies are made of.
But could still serve 5 to 10 years?
Huh? Source?
The above NY times article.
Oh, yeah that's time served though. He's been in Belmarsh five years.
Here's how the BBC in the UK is reporting it
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv22g00nzwko
The deal is for a 5 year sentence though "Assange will spend no time in US custody and will receive credit for the time spent in prison in the UK"
it's not official until he goes to US territory to sign the deal. Here's hoping the US keep their word and don't kidnap him from there...
"Only after he signs a deal with an American judge in the US jurisdiction of the Northern Mariana Islands will Mr Assange be a "free man", she said.
Under the deal, he will plead guilty to a single charge - conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information - and will not serve any additional time in custody, after spending five years in a British prison.
According to Mrs Assange, this deal will be signed "sometime tomorrow".
An order from the High Court was signed on 19 June, granting Mr Assange conditional bail to allow him to travel to sign the plea deal."
It seem so fake. Assange is being held without charge at the request of the US. How would he plead guilty when he hasn’t been charged.
Do we think that Assange would appear jokey and overweight in clearly staged images when he wasn’t well enough to appear at his extradition hearing? Wouldn’t he be celebrating with his wife?
If he has to go to the US to sign how does he trust he won’t be arrested.
It stinks.
It's being presented as a plea deal: plead guilty to 1 charge, serve 5 years, released on Wednesday. He won't get those 5 years (and the rest) back anyway and perhaps it's a way for the US to save face and claim they got their man...
He isn't being sent to the US mainland to sign the deal with the judge so seems like a compromise: US territory but not one of the states. At least it's not Guantanamo...
I'm reluctanct to trust the Americans but given how much publicity there is on what's been agreed, then it would look incredibly bad if they disappeared him from the North Mariana Islands. Hope he's not flying on a Boeing.
Wonderful poem! I especially like this image:
"Dead-eyed dystopioids
marching through life sedated by smartphones"
I've seen more than a few of these crossing the street, eyes glued to the phone screen, oblivious to the traffic, oblivious to the sounds and sights and smells around them. Walking and staring dead-eyed like the walking dead.
Which they MAY be from oncoming traffic!
"There are still leviathans" thank you. donated because you are the most critical part of my daily health and wellness and inspiration to keep on going and connecting.
Very good. I would like to add this to my read aloud list for my podcast, Crann na beatha Stories and Poetry on July 12th. I am running out of material from Medium writers and now seeking stories and poetry from Substack writers.
Please do.
“Perhaps they’ll listen now.” From Vincent by Don MacLean. Perhaps some are listening now Caitlin, because of you. Thanks.
"Vincent" is such a beautiful song by Don MacLean. It was played at a recent memorial service for a friend who was an artist who felt so much...and couldn't handle all he felt. RIP Dion.
Thank you for this poem.
Truer words never spoken, thanks Caitlin.
❤️❤️ ❤️🙏
Lost for words. Thank you Caitlin.
... and even IF they listened ...
Would they ever have enough wits to understand the message ??? ... 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
"even within our oceans choked with plastic,
even within our minds choked with media,
even within our hearts choked with capitalism,
even within our souls choked with fraudulence,"
all these things exist BECAUSE there are Leviathans
You did it again. I am listening deeply and my anger is boundless. It makes me want to scream!
Correctly stated. Thank you and Tim F.
Caitlin! Please celebrate and do some of those things you said you couldn’t.
Julian Assange is free, and that’s huge.
Then tomorrow we go after the murderous empire again, but with a spring in our step and another arrow in the bow. ❤️
Julian is free ... finally with his family in his arms
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE!!!!!
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE!!!!!
I AIN'T SHITTIN, HE'S GETTING OUT AND GOING HOME!!!!!
HOORAY! HOORAY! HOORAY!
🕊️💨
That is our hope.