Wikileaks founder - Wife concerned about Julian Assange's state of health
After Julian Assange's release and return home, the health consequences of his long detention, according to his wife Stella Assange, are still unclear. "We are concerned," Stella Assange stated on 7News' morning television. The seven years Assange spent hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and the five years in high-security British prison Belmarsh took their toll. "He had to endure these hardships both mentally and physically," the 40-year-old lawyer emphasized.
Assange spent these years confined to a small space within four walls. "These conditions have obviously had serious effects on his health, and we will certainly try to have all necessary examinations carried out to see how things really are with him," Stella Assange added. Since his return to Australia on a Wednesday evening (local time), the 52-year-old has not made any public statements.
Hard prison conditions
A US court on the Pacific island of Saipan, a US territory in the Western Pacific, approved a deal between Assange and US justice on Wednesday regarding espionage charges. Assange is now a free man after 14 years of legal battles. Since 2010, Wikileaks had released confidential material from US military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, provided by whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The USA accused Assange of putting US informants' lives at risk.
Assange had never met his wife in freedom before his arrival in Canberra: The relationship between the two began during his time in the Ecuadorian embassy. In 2022, the couple, who have two children, married in Belmarsh Prison. According to Wikileaks, Assange spent 23 hours a day in isolation in a tiny cell there. The moment she could embrace her husband on Wednesday, Stella Assange described to 9Now as: "We couldn't kiss each other in Belmarsh Prison, so it was the most beautiful day of my life." They both cried. "It was indescribable."
Stella Assange continued, her husband wanted to spend time with his two little boys first. "It will be a process – he was in prison and under very harsh conditions. Up until now, we couldn't live a normal family life." Assange needs privacy and time: "We will let him decide how he wants to spend his days and his time now." Above all, he is looking forward to swimming in the sea every day and sleeping in a proper bed, she told parliamentarians in Canberra. "He plans to eat proper food and enjoy his freedom."
- Despite Julian Assange's homecoming after his release, the impact of his prolonged detention on his health, as mentioned by his wife Stella Assange, remains unclear.
- The US court in Saipan, a US territory, approved a deal with Assange relating to espionage charges on Wednesday, effectively ending his 14-year legal battle.
- WikiLeaks, under Assange's leadership, had released confidential information from US military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010, provided by whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
- The USA accused Assange of endangering the lives of US informants with the release of this sensitive information.
- Stella Assange expressed her concern about her husband's state of health following his experiences in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and the high-security British prison Belmarsh.
- After his arrival in Canberra, Assange had the opportunity to meet his wife for the first time in freedom, having started their relationship during his time in the Ecuadorian embassy.
- In Belmarsh Prison, where Assange spent five years, Wikileaks reported that he was isolated in a small cell for 23 hours a day.
- Upon his release, Stella Assange described the emotional moment of reuniting with her husband as the most beautiful day of her life.
