WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty to a felony charge under a deal with the U.S. Justice Department. The deal will see him freed from prison and resolve a high-profile legal saga that has spanned over a decade. The agreement, outlined in court papers filed late Monday, marks the conclusion of a contentious case involving the publication of classified documents.

Assange is scheduled to appear in a federal court in the Mariana Islands to plead guilty to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information under the Espionage Act. The hearing, set for Wednesday morning local time in Saipan will see Assange admitting to the charge, which must be approved by a judge.

The plea deal ensures that Assange, who has been held in the United Kingdom’s Belmarsh Prison, will not face additional prison time beyond the five years he has already served. After his plea and sentencing, Assange is expected to return to Australia.

Assange's legal troubles began with the publication of a trove of classified documents by WikiLeaks, including a video showing a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. His actions earned him praise from press freedom advocates and significant legal challenges.

The U.S. Justice Department’s indictment, unsealed in 2019, accused Assange of helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal and publish diplomatic cables and military files in 2010. Prosecutors claimed these actions endangered U.S. national security. Despite being a contentious figure, Assange was not charged in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Assange's case has been a flashpoint for press freedom and national security debates. Advocates argued that prosecuting him could set a dangerous precedent for journalists. The Obama administration’s Justice Department had opted not to prosecute him, but the Trump administration reversed this stance, prioritizing his arrest.

In addition to the espionage charges, Assange’s reputation was marred by rape allegations in Sweden, which he has denied. He sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London 2012 to avoid extradition. He was arrested by British police in 2019 after Ecuador revoked his asylum status.

The plea agreement concludes years of legal battles that have taken a toll on Assange’s physical and mental health. His family and supporters have long campaigned for his release, citing his deteriorating condition.

President Joe Biden had hinted at considering a request from Australia to drop the prosecution, which likely influenced the plea deal. Chelsea Manning, whose sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017, had previously faced similar charges under the Espionage Act.