Activists, politicians, and journalists worldwide have expressed support for Julian Assange’s anticipated return to Australia, following a deal with US prosecutors where he agreed to admit to one count of breaching the espionage act.

The 52-year-old WikiLeaks founder left a UK prison on Monday, where he had been detained while contesting extradition to the US, and was captured in a video boarding a plane at Stansted airport shared by WikiLeaks.

Assange is expected in a US Pacific territory court in Saipan at 9am on Wednesday to be sentenced to 62 months of time served.

Assange’s advocates celebrated the conclusion of his lengthy 14-year legal saga, with many regarding him as a “hero for the ages,” while others asserted that he should have never been incarcerated.

Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s London Embassy from 2012 to 2019 to prevent extradition to Sweden over different sexual assault charges. He was later indicted in 2019 by former US President Donald Trump’s administration concerning WikiLeaks’ large-scale disclosure of secret US documents, including a 2007 video of an attack that killed a dozen people in Iraq, among them Reuters staff.

These charges angered supporters globally, arguing that as WikiLeaks' publisher, Assange shouldn't face charges typically for government insiders who leak information.

Jodie Ginsberg, Committee to Protect Journalists CEO, expressed elation over Assange’s anticipated release.

“If Julian faced the Espionage Act charges in the US, it would jeopardize journalists globally who obtain and publish classified information for public interest,” Ginsberg stated, noting Julian's Australian citizenship and the ruling’s broader implications.

Ginsberg called the plea deal a face-saving move for the Biden administration, under increased pressure, particularly from Australia, to release Assange.

“The administration secured a guilty plea on a single charge, not on the 18 he initially faced, which could have resulted in 175 years in prison. Julian can now return home to his family,” Ginsberg added.

The Australian government had no immediate comment, but a spokesperson pointed out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s stance that Assange’s case has “dragged on for too long” with no benefit from continued imprisonment.

‘Day of joy for peace, truth’

Australian politicians who fought for Assange’s freedom also echoed this sentiment.

Barnaby Joyce, former deputy prime minister, expressed optimism seeing Assange on a plane but warned that the “finish line” hadn’t been crossed yet. He emphasized this sets a powerful precedent protecting Australians from charges for alleged crimes committed outside Australian soil.

Senator David Shoebridge looked forward to welcoming Assange back and criticized the espionage charges as unjust.

“Assange’s imprisonment revealed US war crimes in Iraq, highlighting the complicity of governments like Australia’s. That’s why he was punished,” Shoebridge remarked.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro welcomed Assange’s impending freedom, deeming his incarceration an attack on global press freedom and inviting Assange to Colombia.

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales celebrated Assange’s freedom, acknowledging his role in exposing US war crimes and the wrongful imprisonment he endured.

In the US, Cornel West, a presidential candidate, praised the release and pushed for Assange’s immediate pardon, emphasizing his act of exposing crimes rather than any wrongdoing.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, another presidential hopeful, acknowledged Assange as a “generational hero” while noting the problematic precedent set by the required guilty plea.

Former US legislator Tulsi Gabbard expressed relief over Assange’s release, and Glenn Greenwald, an American journalist, found it outrageous that Assange was detained for almost 15 years and compelled to admit guilt despite no crime.

There’s so much to say about the Assange case, the outrage of his being detained for almost 15 years, being forced to plead guilty despite committing no crime.

But on a human and personal level, it’s beautiful to watch him leave prison a free man, and finally leave the UK. https://t.co/bhHoAZU2oZ

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 25, 2024

Aaron Mate from The Grayzone referred to Assange’s freedom as a "rare victory for humanity" and highlighted Assange’s crucial role in exposing state crimes.

More than anyone else on this planet, Julian Assange exposed state crimes and the deception wielded to conceal them from the public. His persecution and torture exposed the threat that state power sees in an informed citizenry.

His freedom is a rare victory for humanity, the… https://t.co/uW9sTtIEJ3

— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) June 25, 2024

British author and journalist Matt Kennard exalted Assange as a “hero for the ages.”

Prominent attorney Steven Donziger called Assange a “courageous journalist” and cited his release as an exemplification of the power of public action in shaping global events.

The courageous journalist Julian Assange is now free after 12 years of confinement for exposing US war crimes in Iraq. His release is an extraordinary example of how people power can free the persecuted and shape global events. 🙏👊👊🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/3yoAy3DXGe

— Steven Donziger (@SDonziger) June 25, 2024