Julian Assange Pleads Guilty in Remote U.S. Courthouse in Saipan

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands—Julian Assange pleaded guilty to violating the Espionage Act during an appearance at a U.S. courthouse in the remote tropical island of Saipan and was allowed to walk free, a surprise end to a legal saga that has stretched for over a decade. In a hearing Wednesday morning local time, the WikiLeaks founder, dressed in a dark suit and a gold tie, acknowledged publishing U.S. military secrets, entering his plea to a single felony count with his supporters by his side. Chief Judge Ramona Manglona sentenced a somber Assange to the 62 months he already served in a London prison while he fought his extradition to the U.S., and allowed him to return to his native Australia without spending any time in a U.S. prison.