Julian Assange has landed back home in Australia after a plea deal allowed him to walk free from a London prison.
The 52-year-old had been in an ongoing legal battle with US officials who accused him of leaking classified documents.
The plea deal saw Assange plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, rather than the 18 he was originally facing – IF he agreed to watch just ONE England game during the Euros.
Following the court deal, some humanitarian groups are accusing the US of using enhanced torture techniques by forcing Assange to sit through at least 90 minutes of football produced by Gareth Southgate’s England side.
It’s understood Assange’s wife and legal team worked tirelessly to persuade the Wikileaks founder to reject the plea and face extradition to the US instead.
‘I spent seven years in an Ecuadorean embassy where no one spoke any English. How boring could one England game be?’, Assange told assembled journalists outside Canberra Airport.
COLOGNE, GERMANY – JUNE 25: Harry Kane of England speaks with teammate Kieran Trippier after the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between England and Slovenia at Cologne Stadium on June 25, 2024 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
However, when informed that Southgate deployed two holding midfielders in a dead rubber group game against Slovenia, Assange said he changed his mind and demanded to be taken back to his cell in Belmarsh prison.
‘I’d rather watch an hour long carpool karaoke special featuring James Corden, Ed Sheeran and Gary Barlow than that sh*t’, he yelled, while trying to force his way back into the airport.
Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate has spoken out after he was pelted with plastic beer cups following last night’s below-par display during the 0-0 stalemate with Slovenia.
‘I want to assure the fans that I rinsed those cups with water and placed them in the appropriate recycle bin immediately after the incident’, the 53-year-old told Paddy Power News.
‘I can understand the fan’s frustrations at having just watched us fail to muster a shot on target against a side ranked 57th in the world but I’ll never understand not recycling plastic’.
*Paddy Power’s football coverage is pure fantasy – don’t believe it for a second.
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