Julian Assange is finally free. The founder of WikiLeaks has settled with the United States, admitting to having committed a crime linked to the disclosure of confidential American documents. Under that deal, prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence, the equivalent of the time Assange spent in a maximum security prison in London, United Kingdom. A plea deal that would allow the man who has now become a symbol of press freedom in the world, after a visit to the USA, to fly shortly to Australia where he will embrace his wife Stella Morris and their children, the latter for the first time without bars in the middle of.
Julian Assange
This happened thanks to the great mobilization of Assange supporters around the world. And in the world also in Imola where, after a series of well-attended public meetings, the city council finally unanimously gave honorary citizenship to Assange. Furthermore, recently, again in the city council chamber, Julian’s father came to collect his honorary citizenship in a moving ceremony.
“I thank John Shipton for his presence in Imola – said the deputy mayor Fabrizio Castellari on 24 May -. We are truly honored to be able to deliver the parchment certifying honorary citizenship to his son Assange. It is a recognition of the personal and professional courage of Assange, a great person and a great witness of our time. His light is alive even behind the bars of an inhumane detention, almost a psychological torture. His battle is a battle for freedom and civilization.”
John Shiptonper thanked Imola for the sensitivity shown towards his son: “The people of Imola showed the revolutionary fervor of Mazzini, the courage of Garibaldi, the beauty of Beatrice. Naples was the first city to award honorary citizenship to my son and is therefore a gold medal. You are second and placed on the podium.”
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