Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's decades-long ordeal is almost over, his "grateful" mother said, after the Australian journalist was freed from a UK prison in a plea deal.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Assange, 52, has been fighting extradition to the US over espionage charges for obtaining and publishing classified information.
But on Tuesday, Australian time, he agreed to plead guilty as part of a deal with US prosecutors, ending his imprisonment in the UK and paving the way to return to Australia.
Assange's wife Stella was elated, expressing gratitude to his supporters in a social media post that included video of him boarding a flight out of the UK.
Julian is free!!!!— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU.Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soon…pic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44June 25, 2024
Assange's mother, Christine Assange, said her son's ordeal was finally coming to an end and took a cryptic swipe at hangers-on for using his case for their own benefit.
"This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy," she said.
"Many have used my son's situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first. The past 14 years has obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy."
Wikileaks announced the deal on Tuesday in a social media post.
"WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions," the organisation wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know.
"As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom."
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a…June 24, 2024
Australia has long called for the US to end its pursuit of Assange.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had directly raised the issue with US President Joe Biden, and in September politicians from across Australia's political spectrum converged on Washington to lobby US decision-makers.
Mr Albanese declined to comment directly on the case during question time, citing the ongoing legal proceedings, but reiterated his desire to see his detention brought to an end.
"Regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long," he said.
"There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia."
Politicians from both sides of the aisle welcomed the decision.
"We have consistently said that the US and UK justice systems should be respected," opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said in a statement.
"We welcome the fact that Mr Assange's decision to plead guilty will bring this long-running saga to an end."
Greens senator David Shoebridge and Nationals senator Matt Canavan also celebrated.
But Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who was part of the Washington delegation and is an outspoken Assange supporter, urged caution.
"We're in the process of a 1500-metre race. We don't stop and start waving at the crowd on two-and-a-half laps, we wait to the end of the race," he said.
Bring Julian Assange Home campaigner Antony Loewenstein said Assange's release was "the best news imaginable".
"He's a journalist, he hasn't hurt a soul, hasn't hurt anybody, hasn't killed anybody, hasn't done any harm to anybody," he told Sky News.
Wikileaks says Assange has paid a heavy price for upholding the people's right to know. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
Under the US deal, Assange agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to filings in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
He is due to be sentenced at a hearing on the island of Saipan at 9am local time on Wednesday.
Assange's plane from London was scheduled to touch down in Bangkok at 3.30pm, Sydney time, on Tuesday.
In April at the White House, President Biden told reporters he was considering Australia's request to drop the charges against Assange.
Prosecutors wanted to put Assange on trial for publishing military documents about the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which authorities said had damaged national security and endangered the lives of US agents.
Assange was arrested in the UK in 2010 on a separate matter and took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London. He was taken from the embassy and sent to Belmarsh prison in 2019.
Australian Associated Press