Wife of Wikileaks founder: Assange needs time to recover after years in prison
WikiLeaks founder returned to his homeland Australia shortly beforehand, after spending twelve years in embassy asylum and prison in the UK. The 52-year-old had confessed to the US justice system as part of an agreement to the conspiracy of disclosing information for national defense. At a court hearing in the Pacific territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US judge declared on a Wednesday that Assange is now a "free man". The Australian then flew towards his homeland.
Assange was formally sentenced to a prison term of five years and two months at the court hearing. However, this sentence is considered served due to his corresponding detention time in a British prison. Before his imprisonment, Assange had lived in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years seeking asylum.
Assange is accused of releasing approximately 700,000 confidential documents on US military and diplomatic activities since 2010 in the USA. The documents contained sensitive information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including civilian killings and mistreatment of prisoners by US military personnel.
For his supporters, Assange is a hero, fighting for free speech. His critics view him as a traitor, putting US security and confidential sources at risk.
- Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, returned to his native Australia following a 12-year stint in UK embassy asylum and prison, after a US court in the Mariana Islands declared him a "free man."
- Assange was formally sentenced to a prison term of 5 years and 2 months in the court hearing, but this sentence is considered served due to his detention time in a British prison.
- Before his imprisonment, Assange had lived in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for 7 years, seeking asylum.
- Assange is accused of releasing approximately 700,000 confidential documents on US military and diplomatic activities since 2010, putting US security and confidential sources at risk, according to his critics.
- For his supporters, Assange is a hero, fighting for free speech, as he exposed sensitive information about US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including civilian killings and mistreatment of prisoners by US military personnel.
- Despite being a "free man," Assange still faces legal proceedings in the US related to his actions as the founder of Wikileaks.
- The Australian government in Canberra has expressed its concern about Assange's situation and has offered support to bring him back to Australia if need be.
