WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange landed in Australia on Wednesday after his detention (see video above). He must pay back the money for the machine to the Australian government. Assange’s wife Stella spoke of 520,000 dollars (the equivalent of 486,000 euros).
The 52-year-old was therefore not allowed to take a scheduled flight. Cost shouldn’t be an issue, however, as a crowdfunding website had already raised 344,000 British pounds (the equivalent of $436,000) at the time of landing. The flight number VJT199, which Stella Assange and WikiLeaks previously mentioned on social media, was the most viewed connection worldwide for days. Many people also followed Assange’s landing on social networks.
Has not yet responded publicly
Julian Assange did not want to speak publicly on Wednesday, but his wife spoke instead. “Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here, but you have to understand what he went through. He needs time. He needs to recover,” she told a news conference in Canberra. Stella and Assange’s father picked up the 52-year-old from the airport.
The founder of WikiLeaks has already thanked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by telephone for his efforts, says human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson.
Trade with the US
For Assange, his arrival in Australia ended a years-long odyssey after secret US documents were published on the disclosure platform he founded. The US government accused him of illegally publishing confidential military documents and endangering the lives of American informants. The material appeared in 2010 and included military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Australian spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and more than five years in a British prison. For a long time, the American legal system wanted to try Assange on charges of espionage, which would have resulted in a 175-year prison sentence. However, a deal has now been reached: a court sentenced the 52-year-old to around five years in prison, which he has already served.
Source: Krone
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