Assange’s wife says plea deal doesn’t change unfair prosecution

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said the US ambassador to Australia signaled last year that the US was open to a plea deal with Julian Assange, but he was not sure whether the founder of WikiLeaks would accept it.

Mr Assange returned to Australia last night after reaching a plea deal with the United States, pleading guilty to publishing military secrets.

The Independent has campaigned for years for Mr Assange’s release, but said he questioned last year whether the WikiLeaks founder would accept a US plea deal.

“The question in my head, speaking frankly, was whether or not Julian would be willing to take a plea deal, he has so much invested in this emotionally, physically, personally, reputation-wise, would he be willing to plead guilty to something,” he said.

“I suspect that deep down he didn’t want to plead guilty to anything, but I don’t blame him for pleading guilty to an offense because that was his only option, the only way out of the impasse.”

Mr Wilkie said he was concerned about the precedent of a journalist being charged and convicted for “doing his job”.

“This is an alarming precedent that should send chills down the spines of journalists around the world,” he told ABC.