Julian Assange steps on Australian soil for first time in 14 years

by Mick the Ram

There were emotional scenes at a Canberra Air base, as Julian Assange emerged from his plane and was embraced by his wife and father.

The Wikileaks founder had formally pleaded guilty on the American overseas territory of Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, to one charge of conspiracy to commit espionage in return for a “time already served” sentence.

He was immediately released to fly home to Australia where he set foot for the first time in 14 years, after experiencing nothing but jail or embassy walls in the time in between.

Raising his fist in triumph, Mr Assange kissed his wife Stella and hugged his father, before being driven away, with a handful of supporters waving and cheering.

He has been battling with US officials for the past decade and a half after they accused him of leaking classified documents, which they say put lives in danger.

The 52-year-old did not attend the news conference in Canberra, instead letting his lawyer, Jen Robinson, and his wife speak for him.

Stella Assange, who is a human rights activist, 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, but admitted she was overcome by emotion.

Ms Robinson revealed details of a phone conversation between Mr Assange and the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in which she said her client had declared to the PM that he had “saved his life”.

Nevertheless, Mr Assange remains a divisive figure, championed by some as the as a leading protagonist of free speech in journalism, but held in disdain and regarded disparagingly by others, seen as a criminal who has managed to evade justice.

Wife makes emotional statement

Mrs Assange was still visibly emotional as she addressed the waiting media, beginning by explaining her husband’s absence from the news conference, stating: “Julian needs time to recover, to get used to freedom”. She said they all need time for their family “to be a family”.

Ms Robinson was still fighting Mr Assange’s corner when she spoke, declaring that the deal that was struck was “criminalisation of journalism” and set a “dangerous precedent”.

Both women made the point that his conviction was essentially for news-gathering and publishing information that was fundamentally true and more importantly in their opinion: “that the public deserved to know”.

PM pleased it is all over

Mentioning the phone call with the PM, Ms Robinson stressed how instrumental Mr Albanese had been in securing his release, adding that she did not thing the “saving my life” quote was in any way an exaggeration.

Mr Albanese held his own news conference simply stating that he was “very pleased” that the case was over, acknowledging that Mr Assange had been through a “considerable ordeal”.

He did accept that in the past he had declared that he did not agree with everything the Wikileaks founder had done, but now “enough was enough” and it was time for him to be released.

Australians offer increasing support

National animosity or ambivalence towards Assange has over time turned to pity for many. A poll from earlier in June actually indicated that 71% of Australians thought that the US and UK should be pressured to close the case.

Some have spoken in support of his freedom, but voiced discomfort at his characterisation as a hero and journalist.

Lives placed at risk?

The case itself centred around a massive disclosure on Mr Assange’s website in 2010 which saw the release of a video from a US military helicopter showing civilians being killed in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

At the same time it also published thousands of confidential documents suggesting that the US military had killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents during the war in Afghanistan.

Swedish incident took years to be dropped

Around the same time back in 2010, he faced separate charges of rape and sexual assault in Sweden, which he vehemently denied. He spent seven years hiding in Ecuador’s London embassy, claiming the Swedish case would lead him to be sent to the US.

Swedish authorities finally dropped the case in 2019 saying too much time had passed since the original complaint.

Birthday celebrations

Mr Assange has also indicated his intention to seek a personal pardon from US President Joe Biden, but that is for another day.

Now at last back in his native Australian, he will be able to celebrate a birthday next week – his 53rd – in the company of his family for the first time in 14 years.