Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange has landed in Australia and reunited with his family after reaching a plea deal that ended his 14-year legal saga with the United States government.
Assange’s release came after leaving a US court in the US Pacific island territory of Saipan as a free man on Wednesday after pleading guilty to violating US espionage law—a single criminal count of admitting to conspiring to obtain disclosed classified war crime documents.
During the three-hour hearing, the US government withdrew its extradition requests from the Ecuadorian embassy in London despite spending five years in the maximum security jail.
On touching down in Australia, Assange, accompanied by his legal team, wife, Stella Assange and father, John Shipton, waived to the waiting media and supporters in Canberra who welcomed him home.
WikiLeaks announced it would hold a press conference on Wednesday night in a win for his freedom.
Posting on X, Stella asked supporters for help covering the “massive $520,000 debt” accrued on a chartered flight to Australia, as he was not allowed to fly commercially.
Julian’s travel to freedom comes at a massive cost: Julian will owe USD 520,000 which he is obligated to pay back to the Australian government for charter Flight VJ199. He was not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia. Any contribution, big or small, is much appreciated.”
In joyous moments of legal victory, Assange’s supporters have taken to social media to express their desire for freedom, human rights, citizens’ right to know, and press freedom, as it is what WikiLeaks and Assange stood for.
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