Assange pleaded guilty to a felony charge of violating the Espionage Act. His court hearing was held in Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of violating the Espionage Act, a day after he entered a plea deal with the U.S.
Assange, 52, is best known for the publication of classified military and diplomatic cables in 2010. His hearing was held in federal court in Saipan, the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.
When asked by Chief Judge Ramona Manglona what he did to constitute the crime charged, Assange, an Australian citizen, replied: „Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information. I believe that the First Amendment protected that activity.“
He added: „I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case given all these circumstances.“
Assange pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to obtain and disclose information related to the national defense in a U.
