He appeared before Judge Ramona V. Manglona in Saipan earlier on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of violating the American espionage act.

Justice Manglona allowed Assange to walk free in view of the time he had already done in the UK.

“You stand before me to be sentenced in this criminal action,” she said. “I would note the following: Timing matters. If this case was brought before me some time near 2012, without the benefit of what I know now, that you served a period of imprisonment... in apparently one of the harshest facilities in the United Kingdom."

“There’s another significant fact – the government has indicated there is no personal victim here. That tells me the dissemination of this information did not result in any known physical injury," she said.

“These two facts are very relevant. I would say if this was still unknown and closer to [2012] I would not be so inclined to accept this plea agreement before me. But it’s the year 2024."

Acknowledging the 14-year ordeal that Assange had gone through, the judge said: "...it appears this case ends with me here in Saipan. With this pronouncement it appears you will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man. I hope there will be some peace restored.”

Assange was accompanied on his flight flight back by Kevin Rudd, Australian ambassador to the US, Stephen Smith, Australian High Commissioner in the UK, and Jennifer Robinson, a senior member of his legal team.

The Australian faced criminal charges in the US for publishing classified information that was leaked to WikiLeaks by an American soldier, then known as Bradley Manning, but now, after gender reassignment surgery, known as Chelsea Manning.

The Australian was arrested on 11 April 2019 and removed from the Ecuador embassy where he had taken refuge for seven years. His asylum was withdrawn shortly before he was arrested and he appeared in court shortly thereafter. The US made a formal request for his extradition on 6 June 2019.

Thereafter, he has appeared in court numerous times in a bid to challenge the US extradition bid. He was due to plead his case again inn July, having been granted permission to do so in May.