Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ to secure his freedom

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday has made his first public remarks since his release after he struck a deal with the United States, saying he is free because he pleaded “guilty to journalism,” reported Cable News Network (CNN).

The 53-year-old on Tuesday traveled to the French city of Strasbourg to appear before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and provide evidence on his detention and conviction, and on their effects on human rights, said the report.

“I want to be totally clear: I am not free today because the system worked,” said the CNN report, quoting Assange as saying.

“I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism,” Assange added.

Click CNN to read the detail original report.