Wikileaks founder
Julian Assange reunited with family after landing in Australia
Julian Assange appeared relieved after his release, waved to eyewitnesses and journalists and kissed his wife Stella
Emotional scenes in Canberra: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was able to hug his family for the first time since his release. The moment was accompanied by cheering eyewitnesses.
After landing in his Australian homeland, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had an emotional reunion with his family. Videos on social networks showed the 52-year-old hugging his wife Stella shortly after getting off the plane – for the first time in freedom.
The relationship between the two only began after Assange had been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years since 2012. Assange kissed his wife deeply several times. Immediately afterwards, Assange was also able to hug his father, John Shipton.
Julian Assange greeted with cheers in Canberra
Numerous eyewitnesses cheered as Assange left the charter plane. Shouts of “Welcome home” could be heard. The Australian waved to the crowd and raised a victorious fist to the sky several times. He is expected to make a public statement later that evening.
With his arrival in Australia, Assange ended a years-long odyssey following the publication of secret US documents on the whistleblower platform he founded. Wikileaks in 2010. After spending more than five years in a British prison and another seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, he and his supporters had negotiated a deal with the US that would see him released. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who had campaigned for Assange’s release, said Assange called him after his arrival to thank him for his efforts.
Deal with US justice
This is how Assange’s desperate fight for his freedom went
Assange had appeared before a district court on the US Pacific island of Saipan and pleaded guilty to one count: he had unlawfully obtained and published confidential military documents while believing that this was journalistic work covered by the freedom of expression guaranteed in the US Constitution. The court then sentenced him, as agreed, to a prison sentence of just over five years and decided that he had already served this sentence during his time in prison in Britain.