Editorial: Le Monde

• Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is finally freed after a 14-year-long tortuous judicial process.
• Assange was released in Saipan, a Pacific territory administered by the United States, conveniently sidestepping setting foot on American mainland.
• He admitted to encouraging Chelsea Manning to provide him with classified material, which WikiLeaks published between 2009 and 2011.
• The five-year prison sentence given to him corresponded to the time he already spent in jail in the UK.
• The charges against him would have exposed Assange to a 175-year prison term.
• Assange has been a controversial figure, among other things for publishing emails from the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton, and for collaborating with Russian TV RT.
• Assange's plea deal does not end the controversy, as he was sentenced under the US Federal Espionage Act.

Conclusion: Assange's case highlights the delicate balance between freedom of speech and national security. While a conviction for espionage may be defendable from a security standpoint, it also raises serious concerns about press freedom and the public's right to information.

---