Julian Assange flies to the remote Pacific island of Saipan: where is it and what's next?

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US authorities have officially agreed to drop their demand for Julian Assange to be extradited from the UK to the United States after he agreed to a plea deal.

The WikiLeaks founder, 52, will be sentenced to time served, 62 months — the time he has already spent in a British prison. He is set to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information.

American prosecutors alleged that Assange put lives at risk by conspiring with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain and publish classified materials illegally in 2010.

WikiLeaks said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Assange left Belmarsh Prison in London on Monday morning (June 24) after the High Court granted him bail. He boarded a plane from Stansted Airport in the afternoon.

He is flying to the tropical Pacific island of Saipan, according to Reuters.

So where is this and why is he going there?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Where is Saipan?

Saipan is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the western Pacific Ocean.

It is approximately 120 miles north of Guam and about 5,800 miles west of Honolulu, Hawaii. It lies within the Mariana Archipelago.

Saipan has a significant historical legacy due to its role in the Second World War. It was a strategic location and the site of a major battle between Japanese and American forces in 1944, known as the Battle of Saipan.

Saipan is known for its tourism industry, which attracts visitors primarily from East Asia, especially Japan, South Korea, and China. The island offers beautiful beaches, clear waters for diving and snorkelling, historical sites related to the Second World War, and scenic viewpoints.

Why is Julian Assange going to Saipan?

Assange’s hearing and official sentencing will take place on the island. Reuters said US prosecutors said Assange wanted to go to a court close to his home in Australia but not in the continental US.

Like territories such as Guam or Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands are part of the US without the full status of a state.

"He has to front up to charges that have been brought under US law," Emily Crawford, a professor at the University of Sydney's law school, told Reuters.

"It had to be US territory but it had to be the US territory closest to Australia that wasn't a US state like Hawaii."

What happens to Julian Assange next?

US prosecutors said he will plead guilty in a Saipan courtroom to a single criminal charge that will see him walk free.

Assange will appear in court at 9am local time on Wednesday (12am in the UK).

He is then expected to return home to Australia, where he will be reunited with his “elated” wife Stella.