The U.S. Justice Department is contemplating the option of allowing Julian Assange to plead guilty to a lesser charge of mishandling classified information, as per individuals familiar with the situation.

This potential move opens the door to a negotiated agreement that might ultimately lead to his release from a British prison.

Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks, is entangled in a protracted legal battle with the British government to evade extradition to the U.S. for trial over the publication of numerous confidential U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables circa 2010.

Currently, a U.K. court is deliberating whether to permit a final appeal by the 52-year-old.

Following his indictment by U.S. prosecutors in 2019, British law enforcement apprehended him, and he has remained in custody in a London jail since then.

In recent months, officials from the Justice Department and Assange’s legal team have engaged in preliminary discussions regarding the potential parameters of a plea bargain to conclude the extensive legal saga, insiders familiar with the matter have revealed.

This development signals a potential easing in a protracted standoff fraught with political and legal complexities, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The discussions occur as Assange has spent approximately five years in confinement.

Even if convicted in the United States, U.S. prosecutors face diminishing prospects of him serving considerably more time.

Nonetheless, the status of the discussions remains fluid, and there is a possibility that they may not materialize into a formal agreement.

Any such arrangement would necessitate approval at the highest echelons of the Justice Department.

Barry Pollack, an attorney representing Assange, has stated that he has received no indication of the department’s inclination to entertain a deal.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to provide comment.

Written by B.C. Begley