A US court has finalised a plea agreement, which will see Julian Assange become a free man. The divisive WikiLeaks founder had been facing eighteen separate counts relating to national security, but instead admitted to a single espionage charge in exchange for time served. After pleading guilty to the offence in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US Pacific territory, the United States' longstanding extradition request was nullified, and Mr Assange is now returning to his native Australia.Caitríona Perry caught up with the BBC’s North America correspondent Nomia Iqbal, and former legal correspondent Joshua Rozenberg for their reaction to the deal. They consider how the legal saga has impacted Julian Assange’s image, and what it could mean for the future of free speech.The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.TGS is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, you may well like some of our other pods, too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.This episode was made by Laurie Kalus and Beth Timmins. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.