Julian Assange Won’t Be Dragged Back to the U.S. After Striking Plea Deal

Julian Assange struck a plea bargain with American prosecutors on Monday that will see him avoid extradition back to the U.S., as well as further prison time—leaving him free to return to his native Australia and bringing to an end his years-long legal odyssey.

Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, will plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to illegally obtain and disseminate national security material, according to newly filed federal court records. Prosecutors for the Justice Department recommended a 62-month prison sentence, the length of time Assange has languished in a London prison while fighting tooth and nail not to be returned to the U.S.

He is set to be credited with time served and set free, although the deal had yet to be given the final stamp of approval by a federal judge on Monday night.

Read more at The Daily Beast.