WikiLeaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange was released from Belmarsh Prison this week and touched down in Canberra, Australia, to the delight of his family and wife, Stella Assange.
Stella took to X to celebrate her husband's return, posting a picture of their passionate kiss on the tarmac after Julian landed in Australia, and sweetly captioned it "Home." In a press conference in Canberra on Wednesday, she revealed that she was "overcome with emotion" when she saw her husband back on home soil.
"I think the whole world celebrated with us," she said of their reunion. "It was us meeting on the tarmac, but it was the entire world who was celebrating."
© Roni BintangThe pair met when Julian's legal team hired the Swedish-Spanish lawyer in 2011, and she became instrumental in advocating for her husband's release. She even met with Pope Francis in 2023 to discuss her husband's case and imprisonment.
They began dating in 2015, when Julian was living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after claiming asylum due to sexual assault charges he was facing in Sweden at the time. They conceived two kids during his imprisonment, who were born in 2017 and 2019, and married at Belmarsh Prison in March 2022.
© Roni BintangAt the press conference, Stella spoke on behalf of her husband and asked for some time "to let our family be a family."
"Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone," she added. "He wanted to be here, but you have to understand what he's been through -- he needs time, he needs to recuperate, and this is a process."
© Roni BintangStella was visibly emotional at the press conference but powered through to show her gratitude for the efforts of Assange supporters. "It took millions of people," she said as the crowd applauded. "It took people working behind the scenes, people protesting on the streets for days and weeks and months and years, and we achieved it."
The mother of two mused that the situation was "quite unique, that it got people together from all sides, to work towards Julian's freedom and to keep it at the top of the agenda for years now."
When asked how Julian would spend his time now that he was back in his home country, Stella revealed how important his freedom really was to him. "He is just savoring freedom for the first time in 14 years. Julian plans to swim in the ocean every day. He plans to sleep in a real bed, he plans to taste real food, and he plans to enjoy his freedom."
© DAVID GRAYJulian spent the last five years in prison; before that, he spent seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy. After over a decade in isolation, the father of two looked forward to reuniting with his young children. "They were very excited when they found out that daddy was coming home," Stella told the press. "I had to tell them gradually. So they were very, very excited."
Julian leaked highly sensitive US documents in 2010 exposing information about the country's role in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, which was the largest classified information breach in American history. As a result, he was convicted of espionage, but public outrage grew over the lack of whistleblower protections for Julian.
Speaking at the press conference, Stella addressed this outrage, saying, "I think it revealed how uncomfortable the US government is in having these arguments aired because the fact is that this case is an attack on journalism, it's an attack on the public's right to know, and it should never have been brought."
"Julian should never have spent a single day in prison. But today we celebrate because today, Julian is free," she smiled.
