Julian Assange: Questions and answers about his release

End of the years-long legal drama surrounding Wikileaks founder Julian Assange: There has been a surprising turn in the legal wrangling surrounding the Wikileaks founder. According to Wikileaks, after five years in prison in London, Assange was released from prison – unnoticed by the public – and has left Great Britain. The portal published a video on Tuesday night that is said to show the 52-year-old boarding a plane at London’s Stansted Airport on Monday. There was initially no official confirmation from the British authorities. The background to this is a legal deal between Assange and the US justice system, which had previously pushed for the Australian to be extradited to the USA – but now wants to forego this.

What is Assange accused of?

The US accuses him of having stolen and published more than 700,000 secret documents about military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, since 2010, thereby endangering the lives of US informants. The documents contained explosive information, including the killing of civilians and the mistreatment of prisoners by US military personnel.

Assange’s supporters, however, believe that he is in the sights of the Washington judiciary because of his exposure of US war crimes. If convicted without a deal with the prosecution, Assange faces up to 175 years in prison for espionage.

What does the deal with the USA include?

Assange has negotiated a deal with the US Department of Justice, whereby he will partially plead guilty in the espionage affair and in return be spared further imprisonment in the US, according to court documents published on Monday evening US Eastern Time. A court must still approve the agreement, however. To do this, Assange is scheduled to appear in court in a remote US territory on Wednesday (local time): the Mariana Islands. Assange is expected to plead guilty to conspiracy to illegally acquire and distribute classified documents at the hearing on Wednesday. He is then scheduled to travel to Australia.

Julian Assange’s wife confirmed that the Wikileaks founder had reached an agreement in principle with the US justice system. Wikileaks wrote on X that there had been lengthy negotiations with the US Justice Department. The agreement reached was not yet final. After more than five years “in a two by three meter cell in which he was isolated for 23 hours a day,” Assange will soon be reunited with his wife Stella Assange and their two children, “who so far only know their father behind bars.”

The agreement comes two weeks before an important hearing before the British judiciary, which begins on July 9. The appeal will concern Assange’s extradition to the United States. Following a court decision, the British government agreed to Assange’s extradition in June 2022.

Why the Mariana Islands?

The archipelago is located in the Western Pacific, north of Assange’s home country of Australia, and is under US sovereignty. A letter from the US Department of Justice states that the location was chosen because Assange does not want to travel to the US and the archipelago is close to Australia.

What awaits Assange in the Mariana Islands?

According to US media reports, Assange will be sentenced to a good five years in prison, which he has already served in Great Britain. This would allow Assange to return to his homeland of Australia and soon be a free man. The US had previously demanded Assange’s extradition.

Is Assange accompanied and cared for?

According to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Assange will continue to receive consular assistance after his release. “I would like to say that the Australian government has continued to provide consular assistance to Mr Assange through the High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, who accompanied Mr Assange on his departure from the UK, and through the Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, who is also providing important support,” Albanese said on Tuesday. According to Wikileaks, Assange boarded a plane at London Stansted on Monday afternoon.

Albanese has repeatedly campaigned for a resolution of the case in recent years. “There is nothing to be gained by his continued detention and we want him returned to Australia,” said Albanese. “We have advocated for Australia’s interests and used all appropriate channels to achieve a positive outcome.” As soon as the legal proceedings are finally concluded, the Prime Minister stressed that he would comment in more detail. He hoped that this would be the case soon.

Where is Assange currently?

The plane in which the released Wikileaks founder is believed to be flying landed in Bangkok on Tuesday. Photos showed the plane on the tarmac. The Australian broadcaster ABC published a video of the plane approaching for landing. It looks similar to the plane that was seen in a video previously distributed by Wikileaks, which Assange boarded after his release from the London prison. When asked, the Thai Foreign Ministry did not want to comment on Assange’s alleged arrival in Bangkok.

On the “flightradar24” platform, flight number VJT199, which international media attributed to Assange’s flight, was the connection most closely monitored by users worldwide on Tuesday morning (CEST). According to the report, the chartered plane landed at midday (local time) at Don Mueang International Airport, the smaller of the two airports in the Thai capital.

It was unclear whether the plane was only supposed to refuel in Bangkok and then fly on to the Northern Mariana Islands. The British Guardian newspaper wrote that Assange could also travel on another plane.

Where was Assange before?

Assange was imprisoned in the high-security Belmarsh prison in London around five years ago. Before his arrest in April 2019, he had evaded the reach of law enforcement authorities for seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. They had initially targeted him on rape allegations in Sweden. However, these charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. Human rights organizations, journalists’ associations, artists and politicians have long been calling for Assange’s immediate release.

The Australian government had also campaigned for the release of its citizen. Most recently, Assange had filed an appeal in Great Britain against his extradition to the USA. The case was actually supposed to be heard in July by the London High Court. In May, the High Court partially granted Assange’s request to this effect, thus preventing the 52-year-old from being immediately extradited to the USA.

What are the reactions?

Stella Assange has called on supporters to help her husband after his release. “We intend to set up an emergency fund for Julian’s health and recovery,” she said in a video published on YouTube on Wednesday night. Assange’s team had recently repeatedly warned that the Wikileaks founder’s health was poor. He therefore did not personally attend the court hearings.

“I ask you, if you can, to contribute and help us transition to this new phase of Julian’s freedom,” Stella Assange continued. The video was reportedly recorded on June 19. Wikileaks boss Kristinn Hrafnsson said in it: “If you see this, it means he is out.”

Stella Assange told the BBC about her husband’s release: “Honestly, it’s just unbelievable, it feels like it’s not real.” The past few days have triggered a storm of emotions.

The parents of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have expressed relief at the release of their son. “I am grateful that my son’s ordeal is finally coming to an end,” Assange’s mother Christine Assange said on Tuesday in a statement published by the Australian broadcaster ABC. “This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy.”

Many people have taken advantage of her son’s situation to pursue their own agenda, she continued. Therefore, she is grateful to the “invisible, hard-working people” who put her son’s well-being first. The past 14 years have been very stressful for her as a mother, Christine Assange continued. She asks that her privacy be respected.

Assange’s father John Shipton told ABC Radio: “It looks like Julian will be able to enjoy his normal life with his family and his wife Stella, that’s my understanding.” It looks like his son will be able to return to Australia. Shipton thanked all supporters in Australia who have made this possible, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.