### Julian Assange’s Return: Exploring His New Sanctuary in Australia
Julian Assange, the co-founder of WikiLeaks, is set to return to Australia as a free man after more than a decade of legal battles and confinement. The 52-year-old Australian was arrested in April 2019 at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had sought asylum since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation, which he claimed was a ploy to hand him over to the United States. Following his arrest, Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching bail conditions and had been held in London’s maximum-security Belmarsh prison ever since.
Assange’s journey began in 2006 when he co-founded WikiLeaks, a platform designed to publish classified information from anonymous sources. In April 2010, WikiLeaks released a video showing a U.S. helicopter firing on civilians in Iraq, which brought significant attention to the organization. However, in August 2010, Swedish prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Assange on two separate sexual assault allegations, which he denied.
In December 2010, Assange was arrested in London but was soon released on bail. He began appealing against the international arrest warrant, and in May 2012, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden. In response, Assange entered the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 and was officially granted asylum in August of the same year. From the embassy’s balcony, he demanded that the U.S. drop its “witch-hunt” against him.
In February 2016, a UN panel ruled that Assange had been “arbitrarily detained” by UK and Swedish authorities and called for his freedom. By May 2017, Sweden’s director of public prosecutions announced that the sexual assault investigations into Assange were being dropped. However, in November 2018, it was revealed that the U.S. Justice Department had secretly filed charges against him.
In April 2019, the Metropolitan Police entered the embassy with the Ecuadorian government’s permission and detained Assange for “failing to surrender to the court” over a warrant issued in 2012. He was subsequently sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions. In May 2019, a federal grand jury in the U.S. indicted Assange on 17 new alleged violations of the Espionage Act, bringing the total number of felony charges against him to 18.
Assange’s legal battles continued, with Sweden reopening the sexual assault investigation in May 2019, only to discontinue it again in November 2019. In January 2021, a British judge rejected a U.S. request to extradite Assange due to concerns about his mental health. However, in December 2021, the U.S. won their bid to overturn the ruling. By June 2022, the UK government ordered Assange’s extradition to the U.S., but his case remained tied up in appeals.
In February 2024, Assange’s lawyers launched a final legal bid to stop his extradition at the High Court, which granted him bail in May 2024. On June 19, 2024, Assange signed a plea agreement with the U.S., and the High Court granted him bail. He was released from prison on June 24, 2024, and boarded a flight to a U.S. territory in the Pacific to formalize the plea deal. The following day, he formally pleaded guilty to one count of breaching the Espionage Act and was allowed to return to Australia.
Assange’s return to Australia marks a significant moment in his long and tumultuous journey. The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has expressed its opposition to the ongoing pursuit of Assange. Albanese has stated that Assange has “paid a big price for the publication of that information already” and questioned the purpose of the continued legal actions against him. He emphasized that Assange is an Australian citizen and should receive appropriate support from the Australian government.
The new Australian government has indicated that it will pursue the issue diplomatically and appropriately with its partners, including the U.S. and the UK. Press freedom advocates and human rights groups have raised concerns that the prosecution of Assange under the U.S. Espionage Act sets a dangerous precedent. They argue that it could lead to journalists worldwide being extradited to the U.S. for exposing classified information.
In April 2024, a UK court formally approved Assange’s extradition to the U.S. on espionage charges, but it was up to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to sign off. The UK Home Office announced that Patel had approved the extradition, stating that the UK courts had not found it oppressive, unjust, or an abuse of process to extradite Assange. They also assured that Assange’s human rights would be respected in the U.S.
The Australian government has stated that it will continue to convey its expectations that Assange is entitled to due process, humane and fair treatment, access to proper medical care, and access to his legal team. The government has also expressed its view that Assange’s case has dragged on for too long and should be brought to a close.
One option for the Australian government is to encourage the U.S. to drop the charges against Assange. Another option is to encourage the U.S. president to issue a pardon. If Assange were to be extradited, convicted, and sentenced, Australia could also lobby for the sentence to be commuted, similar to how Chelsea Manning’s sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama.
Assange’s return to Australia represents a new chapter in his life. After years of confinement and legal battles, he will now have the opportunity to rebuild his life in his homeland. The Australian government, along with his supporters, will continue to advocate for his rights and ensure that he receives the support he needs.
Source: Reuters, AFP, BBC, The Guardian
