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Julian Assange latest: 'He needs time,' Assange's tearful wife says - as news conference held without him
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a free man after pleading guilty to a single felony charge for publishing US military secrets. WikiLeaks is holding a news conference in Canberra, where Mr Assange has just landed.
Wednesday 26 June 2024 14:28, UK
Key points
- Julian Assange steps onto Australian soil to cheers of 'thank you' as he kisses wife
- 'He needs time,' says wife Stella Assange - as news conference held without him
- Assange owes Australian government over $500,000 for use of jet
- Explained: Who is Julian Assange and what's happened in the last 48 hours?
- Analysis: Plea deal ends transatlantic tug of war, but it's unlikely to be the last we hear from Assange
- Live reporting by Mark Wyatt, Emily Mee and Bhvishya Patel
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrived in his native Australia to be reunited with his family today.
He flew into the country's capital Canberra following his release from a London prison.
He was met by his wife Stella in an emotional reunion, hugging and kissing her after emerging from the plane.
Supporters of Assange joined press from Australia and abroad at Canberra Airport as he landed.
You can watch the moment Mr Assange arrived in Australia and was reunited with his wife Stella below...
Explaining why Julian Assange is not attending the news conference himself, his wife, Stella Assange, says he "just arrived in Australia after being in a high-security prison for over five years and [on] a 72-hour flight".
She says it is "premature" and Julian "has to recover".
"The fact is that Julian will always defend human rights, will always defend victims - that's just part of who he is," she says.
Stella Assange is now asked if she thinks her husband will be pardoned.
She says "I think he will be pardoned if the press unite to push back against this precedent.
"It affects all of you and your future ability to inform the public and publish without fear."
Stella Assange says the case against her husband should be a warning to other journalists and publishers.
She says it is a "danger" that the US was able to secure a conviction for "newsgathering information that was true, that the public deserved to know".
"That precedent now can and will be used against the rest of the press," she says.
Mrs Assange says it is in the interest of the press to change the current state of affairs by reforming the espionage act, increasing protections for journalists, and offering her husband a pardon.
US co-counsel Barry Pollack is asked about the terms of the plea deal.
He says "there are no restrictions" and "no gag order".
"He is going to be able to go back to whatever life he chooses to build with Stella and his family," he says.
Mr Pollack says a requirement of the deal was that Mr Assange did not spend any further time in prison.
"The US also agreed they would not bring any further charges for any conduct or newsgathering that occurred prior to the time of the plea," he adds.
The speakers are taking questions now, and one journalist says today's news reopens the debate about whether Julian Assange's leaks were right or wrong.
His critics are saying he is "no hero", the journalist says, asking what the response is to this "fundamental claim" against him.
Mr Assange's lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, says it was acknowledged in court today that there was "no evidence of any actual harm" caused by the leaks.
She says the public interest in publishing the information was "clear", as it included evidence of war crimes, the extent of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and torture across the world.
"To suggest this is not in the public interest... I don't understand the basis on which you could possibly suggest that," she says.
Asked about how she felt as her husband stepped on to Australian soil, Stella Assange says "she was overcome by emotion".
She says she heard crowds cheering and then embraced her husband.
"Julian needs time to recover," she goes on to say.
"Somebody told me that freedom comes slowly. I want Julian to have that space."
Julian Assange wife, Stella Assange, becomes tearful as she begins speaking.
She says her husband "needs time" before he speaks publicly, while thanking the Australian people "who have made this possible" and the opposition for "also supporting his release".
"It took millions of people," she says.
"It took people protesting on the streets for years, and we achieved it."
This is met with cheers in the room.
Stella says: "You have to understand what he has been through, he needs time.
"He needs to recuperate - this is a process.
"Please give us space and privacy to find our space.
"Let our family be a family until he can speak again at a time of his choosing."
She says "this case is an attack on journalism" and "should never have been brought".
"Today, Julian is free," she adds.