Julian Assange has returned to his homeland of Australia, courtesy of a plea bargain granting him liberty from a London jail.
Raw emotions spilled at Canberra Airport when the Wikileaks icon embraced his wife and father, with his attorneys tearfully observing.
“Julian needs time to recuperate and acquaint himself with freedom again,” declared Stella Assange at a press briefing shortly after her spouse’s arrival.
For over 14 years, Assange wrestled legally with U.S. authorities, accused of leaking classified data, endangering lives, they claimed.
The 52-year-old abstained from the press meet in Canberra, entrusting his wife and lawyer to voice his thoughts.
“You must grasp the ordeal he’s endured,” Mrs. Assange added, emphasizing the necessity for their family to reunite and heal.
They tied the knot in 2022 inside London’s Belmarsh prison, sharing two offspring.
The plea arrangement had Assange admitting to a solitary charge of conspiracy to procure and reveal national defense info, versus the original 18 counts.
This legal saga focused on the monumental Wikileaks dump in 2010, showcasing a U.S. helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed civilians.
Additionally, a trove of secret documents exposed hundreds of Afghan civilian casualties, unseen by the public eye, during the Afghan conflict.
These bombshell disclosures reverberated globally, kindling widespread debates and sharp scrutiny of U.S. war tactics.
Assange recorded his plea from the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Pacific territory, days after his prison release.
He received credit for time served and a prompt release for his return trip home.
His attorney, Jen Robinson, decried the deal as the “criminalization of journalism,” warning of its “dangerous precedent.”
Mrs. Assange echoed this sentiment, expressing hope that the media comprehends the perils of the U.S. prosecution against Julian, criminalizing genuine information gathering and dissemination.
Ms. Robinson also disclosed a heartfelt exchange between Assange and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a key player in attaining his release.
Assange expressed his gratitude, stating Albanese “saved his life,” with Robinson affirming it was no hyperbole.
“This stands as a monumental triumph that Australia challenged an ally and secured the return of its citizen,” she noted.
Albanese, in his own media appearance, expressed delight at the case’s conclusion, acknowledging the significant hardships faced by Assange.
The Prime Minister, although not endorsing all of Assange’s actions, reiterated that it was time to close this chapter.
When questioned about the potential impact on U.S.-Australia ties, he reassured the partnership remains robust, describing President Biden as a close ally.
The U.S. State Department, distancing itself, maintained only minimal involvement with Assange’s proceedings. It contended his leaks jeopardized the safety of U.S. operatives and strained diplomatic efforts globally.
Assange spent five years in the high-security Belmarsh Prison, resisting extradition to stand trial in the U.S. for the document leaks.
In 2010, he faced separate Swedish charges of rape and sexual assault, which he refuted, leading him to seek asylum in Ecuador’s London embassy for seven years.
Swedish prosecutors dropped the case in 2019, citing elapsed time as the rationale.
Women’s advocacy groups in Sweden lament the missed opportunity for Assange to be quizzed about the rape allegations.
“It’s a dishonorable chapter closing with his release,” commented Clara Berglund, head of the Swedish Women’s Lobby, to Reuters.
“This saga, played out on grand political arenas, grossly undervalues the gravity of men’s violence against women.”
