Julian Assange Returns to Australia Amidst Cheers Following US Court Release
Julian Assange, the Australian activist and WikiLeaks founder, has returned to Australia following his release from a United States court in Saipan as part of a plea deal and his plane has touched down in Canberra amidst cheers from supporters at the airport.
Assange, 52, had pleaded guilty to an espionage charge related to the publication of US military secrets. However, upon disembarking, he waved to the crowd and embraced his wife Stella, visibly relieved and smiling broadly. Earlier on Wednesday, Assange exited the Saipan courtroom, acknowledging the press before heading to the airport for his journey home to Australia.
Barry Pollack, a US lawyer who represented Assange, criticized the prosecution arguing that his client’s case sets a troubling precedent against freedom of the press.
Meanwhile, he emphasized that Assange’s disclosures were in the public interest, in relation to the standard journalistic practices, which has sparked widespread international attention and ignited debates on the principles of press freedom and government transparency.
