WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleads guilty

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of violating the Espionage Act, a day after he entered a plea deal with the U.S.

Assange, 52, is best known for the publication of classified military and diplomatic cables in 2010. His hearing was held in federal court in Saipan, the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.

When asked by Chief Judge Ramona Manglona what he did to constitute the crime charged, Assange, an Australian citizen, replied: "Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information. I believe that the First Amendment protected that activity."

He added: "I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case given all these circumstances."

Assange pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to obtain and disclose information related to the national defense in a U.S. federal court.

Prior to his plea, Assange answered basic questions from Judge Manglona and told him he waived his right to indictment by a grand jury. When Manglona asked him whether he was happy with his legal representation, Assange replied: “That might depend on the outcome of the hearing,” prompting laughter.

Under the terms of the agreement, Assange faces a sentence of 62 months, equivalent to the time he has already served at Belmarsh Prison in the United Kingdom while fighting extradition to the United States. The judge said Assange was required to direct WikiLeaks tto destroy material containing classified information, though given how long this case has gone on, such an action is