WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has returned back to Australia a free man after 12 years, landing in Canberra Airport on Wednesday evening after pleading guilty to one count of breaching the US Espionage Act associated with his involvement in one of the largest US government breaches of classified material. A US judge accepted his plea deal, allowing him to avoid imprisonment in the US.
Moreover big crowds at Canberra Airport cheered as Julian Assange disembarked the plane, waving back at them, The WikiLeaks founder was then greeted with his wife human rights activist Stella Assange, as well as his father and son and others. “I was overcome by emotion when I first heard there were crowds cheering, that I didn’t even know were there,” Ms Assange said. “We embraced, and I think you’ve seen the pictures. I don’t want to express in words what is obvious from the image.”
Moreover Assange’s US lawyer Barry J Pollack called the prosecution of Assange “ unprecedented” and emphasized , the WikiLeaks founder should of never been charged with an espionage offence for publishing documents. “ He has suffered tremendously in his fight for free speech, for freedom of the press, and to ensure that the American public and the world community gets truthful and important newsworthy information,” Mr Pollack said. “We firmly believe that Mr Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act as he engaged in an exercise that journalists engage in every day, and we are thankful that they do.”It is appropriate, though for the judge, as she did today, to determine that no additional incarceration of Mr Assange would be fair.”
Australian PM Anthony Albanese also spoke with Assange and welcomed him home and expressed his pleasure for the “saga” to be over. Assange’s long time lawyer Jen Robinson declared the WikiLeaks founder, return a win for democracy in Australia and free speech. “This is a huge win for Australia, that our prime minister stood up to our ally, the United States, and demanded the return of an Australian citizen,” Ms Robinson said. “That Julian came home today is the product of 14 long years of legal battles, political advocacy and ongoing campaigning not just by us, but by so many people in this community.”
Before Assange returned home to Australia he spent seven years at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he claimed asylum before being imprisoned at Belmarsh Prison in London for breaching bail conditions. He also stayed there while waiting for a possible extradition to the US.
Featured Image: Julian Assange back in 2014. Photo by. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgcomsoc/14770416197/ David G Silvers. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
