"Mental and physical exertion" - Wife worries about Julian Assange's state of health
After Julian Assange's release and return from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, the health consequences of his long detention, according to his wife Stella Assange, are still unclear. "We are concerned," Stella Assange said on Thursday morning during the breakfast news program of the 7News broadcaster. The seven years that the Australian spent hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy and the five years of detention in the high-security British prison Belmarsh had left their mark. "He had to endure these hardships both mentally and physically," the 40-year-old lawyer emphasized.
Assange had been confined to a space of four walls throughout these years. "This has obviously had serious consequences for his health, and we will certainly try to have all necessary examinations carried out to find out how things really are with him," Stella Assange explained further. Since his return to Australia on Wednesday evening (local time), the 52-year-old has not yet made any public statements.
Julian Assange meets his wife for the first time in freedom
A US court on the Marianas Island of Saipan – a US territory in the Western Pacific – approved a deal between Assange and the US justice system regarding espionage charges on Wednesday. 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 the whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
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 was held in isolation for 23 hours a day in a very small cell there.
Stella Assange continued, "He wants 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."
Julian Assange's time in isolation at Belmarsh Prison, where he was held for 23 hours a day in a small cell, significantly impacted his state of health. Post his release and return to Australia, Stella Assange and Julian have yet to publicly discuss his health, focusing instead on his reunion with their two sons.
Despite being a free man after 14 years of legal battles, Julian Assange's association with Wikileaks, which released confidential information from US military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, continues to pose challenges.
