The wife of Julian Assange gave tearful thanks to the public for the support shown to her husband, as he arrived in Australia after striking a plea deal with a US court that allowed him to walk free – bringing to an end a 14-year legal battle.
Assange landed in Canberra after a six-hour flight from the island of Saipan, a US territory in the Pacific, where he was freed after pleading guilty to one charge of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information.
Under the deal, a judge sentenced him to his time already served at Belmarsh prison in the UK – where he had spent five years locked up while fighting US attempts to extradite him – and wished him an “early happy birthday” for when he turns 53 next week.
Assange raised his right fist as he emerged for the plane and his supporters at the airport cheered from a distance. He embraced his wife Stella Assange and father John Shipton who were waiting on the tarmac.
At a quickly arranged press conference at a hotel, Ms Assange said her husband, who could not attend the event, should never have spent a day in prison, and that “today was a day of celebration” following his release. She added: “It took millions of people, it took people working behind the scenes, people protesting on the streets for days and weeks and months and years. And we achieved it.”
She said: “Julian needs time to recover. To get used to freedom. Someone told me yesterday who had been through something similar, that freedom comes slowly. And I want Julian to have that space to rediscover freedom, slowly. And quickly.”
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin June 27, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin June 27, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Fisher one step from joining lucrative heavyweight party
Johnny Fisher is one of a dozen British heavyweights waiting to fill the void when Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury finally call it a day.
'Friendly' transfer deals are put under the microscope
Finance rules see a flurry of June Premier League signings
Alcaraz says staying calm is the secret to SW19 success
Carlos Alcaraz turned to his box, clenching his fist in delight with that familiar intensity.
Raducanu destroys Mertens to raise Wimbledon hopes
Briton needed just 75 minutes to beat Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 in a powerful display reminiscent of her 2021 US Open win
Google blames AI as growth in emissions continues to jeopardise net zero targets
Google partly blamed AI for the fact that its carbon pollution continued to grow last year, threatening the search giant’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
DADDY ISSUES
The compulsive sperm donor at the centre of a controversial new Netflix docuseries, 'The Man with 1000 Kids', tells Kevin EG Perry why he refused to take part in the show
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE?
Calls to find a 6ft 5in man working in finance with a trust fund were everywhere at Glastonbury, harking back to a viral video. It's all a bit tongue in cheek, writes Olivia Petter, but it does reveal a truth about dating during a cost of living crisis
Will Heathrow Express pay up if our flights are missed?
You have been reporting on the collapse of the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line from central London to Heathrow airport.
MAN AND SUPERMAN
Brain fog, mood swings and low libido can often affect men over 40. Could testosterone replacement therapy help, or can it actually be harmful?
Sunak's Starmer swipe let on what he thinks about mums
He could have kept quiet. As a father-of-two, Rishi Sunak will be very familiar with trying in vain to step away from his desk to spend a few hours with his family.