Assange arrived at the US District Court in Siapan around 7.40am local time with his lawyer Richard Miller to plead guilty. Photo: Mark Rabago
A US judge on Wednesday afternoon approved a plea deal with prosecutors in Saipan, ending the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange's, 14-year legal ordeal.
WikiLeaks has posted to social media that Julian Assange will now fly to the Australian capital, Canberra, after pleading guilty to US espionage charge in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
RNZ Pacific correspondent in Saipan Mark Rabago said the WikiLeaks founder ignored the waiting media frenzy of 20 to 30 journalists.
Rabago said there were multiple exits Assange could have left the airport in and it was like a crap-shoot guessing which one.
"We tried to talk to him so he looked at the camera but he did not acknowledge us. I think he knew that there was a media frenzy outside so he went out the back door."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the release of Julian Assange is a welcome development.
Albanese told the ABC he would have more to say on the matter once Assange is back on Australian soil.
Hi case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained from his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.
Earlier
Assange arrived at the US District Court in Siapan around 7.40am local time with his lawyer Richard Miller to plead guilty on charges of violating the US Espionage Act.
Assange wore a black suit and an orange/gold tie.
He gingerly alighted his white van that was accompanied by two black SUVS from the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport where his private jet landed at around 6.17am.
Before coming to the court, he stopped over at Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan for breakfast and presumably .
At the court, he was greeted by a throng of media people-so say 40-50-and it took him around 10-15 minutes to get processed at security before being allowed inside.
