After a 14-year struggle, WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange is finally free of extradition fears. An anonymous Bitcoiner's generous donation of over 8 Bitcoin ($500K) was critical in covering Assange's high costs.
Assange was released from the UK's Belmarsh jail on June 24, and he made a plea deal with US officials, preventing extradition.
Assange appeared in a district court in Saipan, where he admitted to a single offense under the United States Espionage Act. This meticulously planned route kept him off US territory. The cryptocurrency payment, along with $380,000 in fiat money, covered Assange's travel expenses and insured his debt-free arrival in Australia.
On June 26, Assange was sentenced to almost five years in prison. However, his past UK custody neutralized his sentence, allowing him to be released immediately. He returned to Australian soil and arrived in Canberra as a free man.
Assange promised to delete any classified WikiLeaks content as part of his plea.
