Julian Assange landed in Australia and was reunited with his family after agreeing to a legal contract that ended his 14-year legal saga. The WikiLeaks founder landed in the Australian capital, Canberra, shortly after 7:30 pm this Wednesday (26/06), before climbing the runway to hug his wife, Stella Assange.

Fans who confronted the callous man could be heard applauding as he arrived, with some chants of “we love you, Julian” and “welcome home”.

Assange left a US court in the isolated Pacific territory of Saipan on Wednesday a free man , after pleading guilty to a single criminal charge of conspiracy to obtain and publish confidential security documents . He was sentenced to time already served, due to time already served in Belmarsh Prison, London.

His release ends a saga that lasted more than a decade , in which Assange spent five years in maximum security prison and seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, fighting extradition to the US, where he faced 18 criminal charges. If found guilty, he would face a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.

Immediately after the three-hour hearing, the US government withdrew its extradition request from the UK , dropped all remaining charges pending in the US, and banned Assange from returning to the US without permission. Assange went straight to the airport and arrived in Canberra on Wednesday evening local time .

Julian Assange went to Australia on a personal jet

Assange traveled to Australia aboard a chartered Bombardier personal jet, with his legal team, US emissary Kevin Rudd and UK senior commissioner Stephen Smith.

WikiLeaks said it will hold a press conference on Wednesday evening.

At a press conference shortly after Assange’s landing, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said he was “pleased to be the first person” to speak to Assange “immediately with the wheels touching the ground .”

“We know his safe return to Australia means a lot to his family. His wife Stella, his children, who he is looking forward to spending time with as any father would, and his parents Christine and John,” he said.

“There was no purpose to be served by this continued incarceration. And I can say that when I spoke to Mr. Assange tonight, he described it as a surreal and happy moment.”

Before his arrival, Assange’s father, John Shipton, told social media in Parliament that he expected Assange to do “normal things” after returning . It will be the first time that Assange will meet the two children he has with his wife outside of prison.

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In parliament on Wednesday, Albanese said Australians would have different views on the plea bargain , but that the majority would support his release.

“Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for far too long. I have said repeatedly that there is nothing to be gained by prolonging his imprisonment and I am pleased that he is on his way home to Australia to be reunited with his family here ,” Albanese said.

“Over the two years since we took office , my government has been committed and advocating, including at the leadership level, for a solution to this situation. We have used all appropriate channels.”

Albanese raised the issue with US President Joe Biden, while politicians from across Australia’s political spectrum last year went to Washington to pressure US decision-makers to free Assange.

“This is what protecting Australians around the world looks like ,” Albanese said.

“It means doing the work, getting results and outcomes, having the standard to stay the course. And I am very pleased that on this occasion this was a successful outcome that I believe the overwhelming majority of Australians wanted to see.”

WikiLeaks shared an image on X of Julian Assange hugging his lawyer Jennifer Robinson after he was released, with Rudd smiling in the background. Assange made no comments to the press before or after leaving the court, but Robinson thanked the Australian government and the global movement for the court’s outcome.

“It is a great comfort to his family, to his friends, to his supporters, to us and to all who believe in freedom of speech around the world, that he can now return to his mansion in Australia and reunite yourself with your family,” she told reporters. outside the court.

“I hope that the fact that we were able to free Julian Assange today, against all odds and against one of the most powerful governments in the world, gives hope to all journalists and publishers who are imprisoned, all over the world.”

Fonte: The Guardian