CANBERRA—WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has returned to Australia after 14 years of detention over espionage charges by the United States. Assange pleaded guilty to a felony charge, effectively ending a protracted legal battle with the U.S. government.
Assange’s plane touched down in Canberra late Wednesday evening, local time, as confirmed by WikiLeaks. Earlier in the day, he appeared in a courtroom on the U.S. Pacific Island territory of Saipan in the Mariana Islands, close to his native Australia.
In court, Assange pleaded guilty to a felony charge of violating the Espionage Act for his role in obtaining and publishing classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010. Entering the courtroom in a black suit, Assange remained silent, ignoring reporters’ questions.
Journalists present described Assange as appearing “calm.” Outside the courtroom, Assange’s U.S. attorney, Barry Pollack, stated, “We firmly believe Mr. Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act.”
Assange’s wife, Stella, expressed her relief on X, saying, “Julian walks out of Saipan federal court a free man. I can’t stop crying.”
Assange was released on Monday from Belmarsh maximum security prison after the High Court in London granted him bail. He then boarded a flight at Stansted Airport at 5 p.m. local time. The plane made a refueling stop at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok before continuing to Saipan.
Assange’s return to Australia marks the end of a lengthy and contentious chapter in the saga of the WikiLeaks founder, who has been at the center of a global debate over press freedom and national security.–News Desk