Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has returned to his homeland of Australia. Arriving on a charter jet on Wednesday, Assange’s return followed a plea deal with the US Justice Department, concluding a protracted legal saga involving charges of obtaining and publishing military secrets.
According to his lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, upon landing in Canberra, Assange expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a phone call from the airport tarmac, crediting the Australian government’s intervention with saving his life.
Stella Assange, his wife, conveyed to reporters at a brief news conference shortly after his arrival.
“Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here. But you have to understand what he’s been through. He needs time. He needs to recuperate and this is a process.”
Stella Assange
Julian Assange was accused of receiving and publishing vast amounts of classified war logs and diplomatic cables, shedding light on military misconduct in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Among the revelations was a video showing a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.
These disclosures garnered substantial support from press freedom advocates, who praised Assange for exposing information that would have otherwise remained hidden and warned of the potential chilling effect on journalism.
In an unexpected development, Assange, 52, entered his guilty plea in a district court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.
This location, an American commonwealth in the Pacific, was chosen to accommodate Assange’s preference to avoid entering the continental United States.
Prime Minister Albanese recounted his conversation with Assange, who expressed joy and surreal relief at being back on Australian soil.
“He described it as a surreal and happy moment, his landing here in our national capital, Canberra,” Albanese shared with reporters at Parliament House.
“I had a very warm discussion with him this evening. He was very generous in his praise of the Australian government’s efforts.”
Prime Minister Albanese
Throughout his legal battles, Assange’s deteriorating health and the risk of self-harm in the penal system were repeatedly highlighted.
His return flights were facilitated by the Australian Ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, and the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Stephen Smith, both instrumental in negotiating his freedom with officials in London and Washington.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles confirmed that the flights were funded by the “Assange team,” with the government playing a crucial role in facilitating the transport.
Albanese told Parliament that Assange’s release, following five years in a British prison fighting extradition, was the outcome of the government’s “careful, patient and determined work.”
WikiLeaks Expected To Continue With Inputs From Assange
The future remains uncertain for Assange, though it is expected he will continue his advocacy for freedom of speech and government transparency.
His lawyer, Barry Pollack, stated, “WikiLeaks’s work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government.”
John Shipton, Assange’s father, expressed hope for his son’s reintegration into everyday life, highlighting the simple pleasures awaiting him.
“He will be able to spend quality time with his wife, Stella, and his two children, be able to walk up and down the beach and feel the sand through his toes in winter, that lovely chill.”
John Shipton
The plea deal required Assange to plead guilty to a single felony count but allowed him to return to Australia without serving time in an American prison.
The judge credited him with the five years already spent in British custody, where he fought extradition on an Espionage Act indictment.
Before that, Assange had spent seven years in self-imposed exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
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