(Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Julian Assange is standing on Australian soil, having spent his first night in his home country in nearly 15 years.
His lawyer Jen Robinson, filled with emotion as she addressed a rowdy media pack in Canberra, said Assange’s return home had “saved his life”.
Stella Assange, human rights activist, Julian’s wife, and the mother of their two children, said she could not describe the moment when he rushed from the plane, across the tarmac, and into her arms.
“I was overcome by emotion when I first heard there were crowds cheering, that I didn’t even know were there,” she 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.”
On social media, she offered one simple word next to the photo of their embrace: “home”.
Assange has been a fugitive since his organization WikiLeaks published classified United States military footage it alleged showed the killing of Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists by US forces.
For seven years he was holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, dodging an extradition order to the US over the leaks, until 2019 when police entered the embassy and detained Assange, placing him in jail where he remained until just days ago.
Since 2012 he has fought attempted extraditions and later charges of violating the US Espionage Act — which carried a maximum penalty of 175 years in prison.
Yesterday, he finally settled a plea deal with the US, pleading guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit espionage in return for a “time already served” sentence.
Stella Assange told media he was grateful to all who had supported him, but he was tired, and asked the family be given privacy.
“Julian needs time to recover, to get used to freedom,” she said. “Freedom comes slowly, and I want Julian to have that space to rediscover freedom slowly, and quickly.”
As Assange stepped onto the tarmac, a triumphant Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stood up at parliament house, where he said he had just spoken with Assange and welcomed him home.
“I am very pleased that this saga is over. And earlier tonight, I was pleased to speak with Mr Assange, to welcome him home, and had the opportunity to ask about his health and to have my first discussion with him,” Albanese said.
Robinson claimed his return as a win for Australian democracy 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,” 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.”
But even as she celebrated, Robinson said Assange’s guilty plea set a dark precedent for the press.
His team has always maintained that the publication of US intelligence was an act of journalism in the public interest, revealing alleged war crimes, and Assange should not have been punished for it.
Stella Assange said her husband’s case was a warning for the press.
“I hope journalists and editors and publishers everywhere realize the danger of this US case against Julian that criminalizes [and] that has secured a conviction for news-gathering and publishing. Information that was in the public interest,” she said.
“[But] today, we celebrate Julian’s freedom.”
Assange has indicated his intention to seek a personal pardon from US President Joe Biden.
The Albanese government is left treading a delicate diplomatic situation: on one hand celebrating a successful end to a diplomatic saga that has loomed over US relations with six Australian governments; on the other, being careful not to upset a US government that has made significant concessions in its pursuit of Assange.
And Assange remains a divisive figure, lauded by some as a champion of free speech and of journalism, and derided by others as a criminal evading justice.
The Opposition’s Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson yesterday sided with the latter view, saying Assange was “no hero” — but agreed the end of the diplomatic saga and his return to Australia was a welcome thing.
“The reason why it’s gone on for a long time is that he was evading lawful extradition requests,” he told Sky News.
“It is a credit to the United States that they are showing such leniency towards someone accused of such a serious crime.”
In a signal of the Albanese government’s limits with Assange, it stopped short of paying the bill for his return, with WikiLeaks saying the chartered flight to bring him home had cost about $US520,000.
A crowdfunding effort had raised more than $700,000 within hours of Assange boarding his flight home.
Assange’s legal team say he is now a free man, and free to build his life in Australia with his family however he pleases.
