Julian Assange Freed After 12 Years in Prison

WikiLeaks Founder to Travel Home to Australia After Plea Deal

Assange Pleads Guilty to Espionage Charges

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been freed from prison in the United Kingdom and is expected to travel home to Australia after he struck a plea deal with the United States.

Assange had been held in prison for 12 years after he published classified documents that exposed U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The documents were leaked by former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

Under the plea deal, Assange will plead guilty to violating the U.S. Espionage Act. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but Assange is expected to be sentenced to time served.

Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, told 730 the WikiLeaks founder was "excited but anxious" about his release from prison.

"He's been through a lot, but he's a fighter," Shipton said. "He's looking forward to going home and being with his family."