The Bitcoin fan paid $500,000 in crypto to ensure Assange could return home
Julian Assange has been released from custody after fighting extradition to the US for the last 14 years. In the final push to guarantee his release, an anonymous individual donated more than eight Bitcoin, valued at about $500,000, to help the WikiLeaks co-founder’s family eliminate the debt owed for travel and expenses related to the settlement.
Assange was freed from Belmarsh prison in the UK on June 24 after a plea agreement was reached with US authorities. He later boarded a private plane from London to Saipan, a US territory. Assange pled guilty in a Saipan district court to one count of violating the US Espionage Act for leaking classified documents.
Stella Assange, his wife, said in a recent interview that “freedom comes at a cost.” Assange must forfeit $520,000 to the Australian government for his “forced” chartering of the flight that would take him to Saipan and Australia.
URGENT: Emergency appeal for donations to cover massive USD 520,000 debt for jet.
Julian’s travel to freedom comes at a massive cost: Julian will owe USD 520,000 which he is obligated to pay back to the Australian government for charter Flight VJ199. He was not permitted to fly… pic.twitter.com/J6sTbXij53
— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024
Stella created a crowdfunding page to assist her husband in paying debts after returning home to Australia. Within 10 hours of posting the donation link, an anonymous Bitcoin user transferred over eight Bitcoin to the fund, which was just short of the $520,000 goal. Over 300,000 British pounds ($380,000) in fiat donations have also been donated. This means that Assange will arrive back in his home country free of debt.
Judge Ramona Manglona sentenced Assange to five years and two months of jail time after his guilty plea on charges of espionage. He was released following the hearing since he had already served the time while fighting extradition.
Assange was also ordered to destroy all classified documents obtained by WikiLeaks.
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